Remember Me Please
by AnonymousPen90
Summary: Damon would have kept searching had he known. He would have searched every country. The fliers he would have made would be posted on every street post. You know, those fliers that have the picture and the description and in big bold letters at the top he would have declared her 'missing'. Damon didn't know she was still alive, lying in the arms of another man.
1. Kids and Tears

Damon would have kept searching had he known. He would have searched every country. The fliers he would have made would be posted on every street post. You know, those fliers that have the picture and the description and in big bold letters at the top he would have declared her 'missing'. Damon didn't know she was still alive, lying in the arms of another man.

He didn't know. So when Damon opened the door to his house, he slowly made his way upstairs and down the hall turning to the last door on the left. Where he made great effort to make minimal noise to that bed with the comforter that held the solar system and that tiny body that lay buried underneath. Damon kneeled down beside his son's bed. Lightly he brushed the boy's brown locks away from his forehead. If only for a minute, Damon needed to be there with one out of the two things that reminded him his heart still beat.

He had just returned home from dropping off the babysitter, Anna. She was a sweet girl and the kids loved her but Damon couldn't deny he wished he had stayed at home instead of going out. That night he had gone out on his third blind date that month. It would have been more but he had become a master at being extremely busy and preoccupied with 'other things'.

The only reason he had even agreed to that particular evening was because his brother-in-law Jeremy had practically begged him. It wasn't the knees on the floor and tears in the eyes type of begging, but it was Jeremy. The boy had the same eyes as his sister. Everyone knew that when Elena had been around she could have asked Damon to slay a dragon and he would have become an expert fencer. Now that she was gone, the boy that shared her DNA held a fraction of that power.

Jeremy had sat back and watched Damon mourn the loss of Elena for over two years. Until that one Friday evening when his wife, Bonnie, had told him to go over and keep Damon company. The kids had weekend plans and so Damon was left with an empty house for the evening. The lack of laughter and the soft shadows that danced along the wall would always haunt Damon. That's why, when Jeremy entered the small town house, he found Damon with a glass of Bourbon in his one hand as he wept into the other. It had taken the young Gilbert two hours to get the broken man out of the recliner and into bed. Just before he had closed the door he watched his brother-in-law curl up into the pillow at his side and mumble out the words "Why couldn't I save you". Jeremy knew he was talking to Elena, or at least the Elena that lived in his memories. For that reason Jeremy realized as he made his way home to his wife that it was time for an intervention. Years ago Damon would have hidden himself away with careless one-night stands and bar fights. The Damon that Elena had left behind was different then that. He had to handle it differently, for Ty and Sophie. The majority of the time he made sure to pretend everything was normal. Still the broken man was not who Elena had loved and as her brother Jeremy felt it was his responsibility to bring him back. Even if it meant to bring him back that he had to let go of Elena. So when Bonnie mentioned a girl named Rose. Jeremy decided that she was the answer. She was smart, beautiful, and driven.

But, she wasn't Elena. That was all that Damon saw. It was all he saw when he walked into the grill and spotted Rose sitting at a table for two with her pixie hair and black dress. That was what Damon saw when they danced together on the dance floor. That is why he knelt at his sons bed when it was not even 11.

"Daddy?"

Damon turned to the door where he saw Sophie standing in the open door way. Her hair was disheveled and she was rubbing her one eye as her other hand held her limp teddy bear, Sire Squiggles. Damon rose to his feet and made his way over to his beautiful little four years old. He gently picked her up and smiled when her big eyes were staring into his.

"I thought you were in bed ladybug."

* * *

_"Dad look at me I'm Batman!"_

_Damon laughed at his son as he ran around the room in the batman costume he had begged his parents to get for weeks. His little fist was shot out in front of him as he began doing circles around the coffee table. The sound effects making him sound more boat and less bat._

_"Hey crime fighter, Where is your mom?"_

_Before Ty could answer, as if on cue, a loud squeal came from upstairs followed by a very frustrated sounding Elena._

_"Sophie!"_

_Damon took one last glance at Ty before making his way towards the voices. The moment he opened the door Damon found his little girl running around her room and giggling with nothing but her diaper on. She had just recently learned to walk and boy had she learned fast. He then spotted his wife, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room looking tired and frustrated._

_"Sophie"_

_The moment her Dad called her name she stopped running and then made a straight shot for his legs. Effortlessly he picked up the little girl in his arms._

_"Are you giving your mom a hard time?"_

_Sophie responded with a giggle and a shake of her head to the left and right._

_"She won't let me put on the lady bug costume."_

_Elena interjected_

_"You don't want to be a lady bug?"_

_"I not lady bug"_

_"What? Elena, I thought this one was a ladybug."_

_Elena bit her lip, obviously trying to stay upset. One problem at a time. Damon picked up the ladybug costume and carried his little girl over to her mini bed. The costume ended up only taking him a few minutes to put the costume on. After he figured out where her arms went._

_"See you are a lady bug."_

_Sophie giggled and pointed to Damon._

_"Your ladybug"_

_"Yeah my ladybug, now go find your brother."_

_Damon responded as he sat her on the floor. Sophie scampered off out of the room and Damon turned to his next task that awaited him, the upset beauty that currently stood in the middle of the room looking at him incredulously._

_"I've been trying to get her in that costume for the past half hour and you come in and give her that smug smile and she just slips right in. She is such a daddy's girl"_

_Elena threw her hands in the air to emphasis her point. Damon walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He put his head into the crook of her neck and whispered into her ear._

_"You know she loves you."_

_He flipped her around in his arms so they were facing._

_"Not as much as I love you but we both know that's impossible"_

_Elena rolled her eyes_

_"What happened to the tough guy I fell in love with."_

_"Are you questioning my manliness?"_

_In a quick response Damon moved his hands up and down her sides. Elena erupted in laughter. The sound of her giggles erupted through the entire house._

* * *

Katherine Peirce looked down at her finger. The bright diamonds on the ring reflected from the sun into her eyes. It was beautiful, but somehow it just wasn't her.

"I'm so excited, there is so much to plan!"

Katherine looked up and smiled when Caroline broke through her thoughts. She had just asked her friend to be her maid of honor.


	2. No Happily Ever After

Sophie curled up into her father's arms. It made him think of all those books he read so long ago. When they had first found out Elena was pregnant with Ty. When Damon closed his eyes he could still see the sparkle that didn't leave her face for weeks after they had first found out. He became a father because of his love for Elena and their kids, but Elena had mother written into her very DNA. She never saw it like he did though and that's why she had bought those parenting books and read all of them, cover to cover. Each night she would put down her current book she was reading and curl into Damon's side. Then her breathing would turn even and Damon would open the book and silently turn on the lamp on his nightstand and read. All of the books he read said no to letting your child sleep in your bed with you. They said the child would become accustomed to the idea and it would hurt their development of independence. None of the books mentioned when you needed the child there as much as they needed you. Having his little girl curled up in his side helped the nights seem a little less dark. So he let her stay.

"Daddy, will you tell me a story."

"What kind of story"

"A princess story"

"What princess story do you want tonight?"

"The princess and her best friend"

"We told that one last night."

"Its my most favorite one"

"Yeah mine too. Once upon a time there was the most beautiful princess of all the land who was kind to everyone."

"Even the boy who wasn't very nice" his daughter interjected

"Yes, somehow she showed kindness to the boy who wasn't very nice…"

* * *

_"Damon leave the poor boy alone"_

_Elena gently pushed Damon away from the boy he was previously attempting to intimidate. The girl was totally beginning to ruin his image. Then she turned and looked at him with big brown eyes and the fact he even had an image was forgotten._

_"Hey, I was just showing him where he stands in the high school food chain. He's a freshman."_

_"I'm a freshman"_

_Elena always was quick with a comeback. Damon quickly threw his arm around Elena's shoulders and gently pulled her with him._

_"Yeah, but you're my best friend. It puts you at least sophomore status."_

_The duo had met the summer before when he was seeing the anchor Andi and Elena was interning as a writer for the station. The relationship with Andi didn't end well but somehow Damon and Elena had remained friends, the best of friends._

* * *

"Then the not nice boy fell in love with the pretty princess."

"Hey, I thought I was telling the story." Damon asked his daughter as she looked up at him with those big aqua green eyes.

"You always forget that part"

"I never forget that part." Damon scoffed in the direction of his daughter.

"Tell the story!"

"Ok, so the mean boy realized he was in love with the princess at the ball…"

* * *

_Damon pulled at his tie as he gazed around the room. He couldn't believe she had convinced him to come. He had been planning on going out with his pal Alaric as a matter of principle. Social gatherings, such as prom, were in no way his scene. Especially with a date, a date threw off his game, but Elena had asked him. She had been planning to go with her boyfriend Matt. Then last week he broke up with her, claiming to have fallen for some British chic. The guy didn't deserve her anyway. Damon thought he was impeccably boring but because of his jerk move Elena had turned to Damon to accompany her to their high school prom. Damon tried for a moment to claim that he was about to be going off to college. She came back with it being her first high school dance. Damon still held his ground until Elena pulled out those pouty lips. _

_So there he stood watching all these people he didn't really like, dance to music that wasn't his taste. He looked over and spotted Elena dancing with Bonnie. They were both laughing and whispering to each other, at least somebody was having a good time. Then a slow song came on and Damon stood from the table and made his way to the two giggling girls._

_"Can I have this dance?"_

_Damon asked Elena as he pulled his hand out and made a slight bow in her direction. Bonnie's stare could be felt boring into his very skull. She never had really liked him. Always said that he was a bad influence but judgment from others had never deterred him before. Elena ignored her friend as well and gave a slight curtsy, giggling as she did._

_"I would be honored kind sir."_

_He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close as Elena placed her arms around his neck. As they slowly danced Damon realized how quiet she had become and pulled back to glance at her face. It became obvious that she was lost in another place with her distant eyes and the small frown._

_"You know it doesn't really help a guys ego when a girl looks so sad in his arms."_

_He watched as she came out of her thoughts and came back to him._

_"I'm sorry I was just thinking. Thanks for coming with me tonight"_

_"You call, I come, and I guess I'm easy like that"_

_He grabbed hold of her hand and spun her out only to pull her back in._

_"That's not what you were thinking about though but he doesn't even deserve to take your thoughts. The guy was a total bore."_

_"What if I like total bores?"_

_"Nobody ever wants to be in a boring relationship. The best type of relationships have passion and adventure and maybe even some danger mixed in there."_

_Elena gave that silly little smirk and they finished the song in silence. While Damon held her in his arms he began to think about how the statement was true. How he knew she deserved better. He spun her out and back in again and she laughed into his shoulder. That twinkle in her eye made his heart quicken its pace and that's the very moment he realized. He was in love with her; he was in love with Elena Gilbert._

* * *

"He didn't say anything to the princess that night or the next night or the night after that."

"Cause she served better then" Sophie responded as she fought to keep her eyes open.

"Yeah, he knew that she d-served better then him and he couldn't be selfish not with her. He slowly made an effort to become better so one day he might actually deserve her. Only then to realize she had been making him better since the day they first met. Still he waited."

* * *

_"I guess this is goodbye"_

_"You are so melodramatic, you are going to a college not even 30 minutes away."_

_Both Elena and Damon were standing outside by his baby of a car. He had just thrown the last of his luggage in the trunk. He still couldn't really believe that he had made it into college. Elena had acted like she knew it all along. He threw his arms around Elena and squeezed her a little tighter then normal and breathed in her vanilla aroma. It was these moments that kept him from completely losing all sanity. Damon released her and made his way to the driver side of his car._

_"What is wrong with you?"_

_Damon turned back to Elena surprised by her sudden outburst. Fire burned in her eyes._

_"Now who is being melodramatic?"_

_"I heard you last night. You carried to my room after the movie, I wasn't asleep Damon and I heard you say you loved me. I have known you for a long time Damon Salvatore and you have always gone after the girl you wanted. So then what is so wrong with me? What makes me so different?"_

_It took Damon two of his long strides to be back in her very close proximity. He stayed silent for a few moments as he stared directly into her eyes._

_"What would ever make you think you're like any other girl?"_

_Elena averted her eyes and dropped her head. She looked defeated. As if to say she wished she were like those other girls. Anger built up inside Damon and he wasn't sure if he wanted to shake the crazy girl, or kiss her. Instead he used his pointer finger to grasp her chin and pull her eyes back to him._

_"I can't treat you like any other girl because you're not any other girl, you're infinitely so much more."_

_Then before Elena could respond Damon leaned in and kissed her. It was one of those passionate kisses where Damon's hands instantly got tangled in her gorgeous brown hair and Elena grasped the front of his shirt with both fists as if to say she wanted him more close. Now that Damon had her he knew he would never be able to let her go._

* * *

"The beautiful princess ended up saving the boy that was learning to be nicer."

Damon looked down at Sophie and saw that her eyes were closed. He needed to get out, needed to get a glass of something. After he kissed Sophie on the head and was about to pull out from underneath her, Sophie barely whispered.

"You forgot to say they lived happily ever after."

"I guess I did. You go to sleep now I'll be right back."

Damon quickly exited his room before she would ask him to say it. He softened the story that he told his little girl. He never told her about the liaisons the boy used to have or even about the kiss but that last sentence he could never bring himself to say. They lived happily ever after. Damon made his way to the kitchen and pulled out a small glass tumbler from the cabinet. He couldn't bring himself to say it because it wasn't anywhere near true. Quickly he turned on the faucet and let the water pour into his glass.

* * *

_The pacing increased as he heard the panic in her voice. Fear clenched at his heart and he choked back a sob. Desperately Damon tried to keep hold of the phone. _

_"Elena, baby, talk to me and tell me what's going on?"_

_The screams were to loud he wasn't even sure she had heard him. The background noises on her end had become increasingly more frantic and busy._

_"It's ok were going to get out."_

_That was Elena but she wasn't talking to him. She had to stop with her selfless act and get out. He desperately wanted to be there, he didn't care if he had to pick her up kicking and screaming. He would get her out of there._

_"Damon, I have to go. It's going to be ok, never forget how much I love you ok."_

_"I love you infinitely more and now get home so I can show you how much."_

_"O my goodness there's another!"_

_It wasn't Elena's voice but it was Elena's scream, followed by an incredibly loud crashing sound._

_"Elena!"_

_In a matter of minutes Damon's whole world had crumpled to the ground and he wasn't sure if anything would rise from the ashes._

* * *

Rose sat there with her head in her hands and she groaned out in frustration. The invitation that lay on her desk was mocking her. It was the year 2004, women could totally ask out men. She lived in the small town of mystic falls there weren't many options there. She had a really great time with Damon three nights ago but he hadn't called since. She knew that probably meant he was just not that interested in her but she was interested in him. Maybe, if he got the chance to know her better he would see what a great catch she was. Before she could talk herself out of it Rose picked up the phone and dialed the number Bonnie had given her. The phone rang three times.

"Hey this is Damon leave a message." *Beep

"Hey Damon this is Rose. You know from the other night. I was wondering what you were doing um on Saturday. I have this invitation to an engagement party. I don't really know if it's going to be any fun but I hear the guy is like some hotshot in New York so he's loaded. Oh right he's your cousin of course you know that. So your probably already invited but I was just wondering if you wanted to go together. Ok, give me a call back. O and this is Rose, ok bye."

Rose hung up the phone and inwardly chastised herself for being such an idiot. She threw the engagement party invitation for Katherine Pierce and Stefan Salvatore just for good measure.


	3. Engagement Party

A/N- I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has responded to this story thus far. I have really enjoyed writing this story and it's even more enjoyable when I know people are enjoying reading it. I also have appreciated all the really nice comments; I hope the rest of the story can live up to all your wonderful words. I also just wanted to say that this chapter deals with a very tragic event in US history. I feel its important to take a moment and say how it grieves my heart for all the pain and suffering that came from that day and I find it important to be extra sensitive when writing about these matters. My prayers go out to all those who the day affected.

* * *

Katherine walked into the large ballroom and looked up at the chandelier that hung and glistened from the roof. That alone showed the grandiose design of the party. Katherine used her hands to smooth out the imaginary wrinkles in her strapless red cocktail dress. Trying to do anything she could to stop her shaking legs so she wouldn't fall out of her black stiletto heels.

If Caroline hadn't worked so hard on the party and it wasn't for Katherine's personal engagement, Katherine would have convinced Stefan to let her stay home. Both Caroline and Stefan looked so happy and so she placed a smile on her face and walked over to one of the tall tables with the black tablecloths that were scattered around the dance floor.

"So do you absolutely love the look of the party? I could have done bigger and better if we had stayed in New York. I still don't understand what made you want to move here."

Katherine turned and smiled at Caroline who was making her way towards Katherine. It was still a few minutes till 7 so the people were now just starting to trickle in.

"Caroline, I love it and you know that Stefan promised once we were married that we could move. I just need a fresh start after, after everything"

"I understand that but couldn't you have chosen at least somewhere near a beach, like New Jersey or Florida."

"I like it here, it's quaint."

"Yeah, that boarding house Stefan bought you is real quaint."

Before Katherine could respond she felt an arm wrap around her waste and a breath against her neck.

"How's my gorgeous fiancé?"

* * *

Damon pulled at his tie as he entered the large ballroom. Rose was at his one side as she looked through her clutch. Jeremy and Bonnie were at his other side wrapped up in a conversation between themselves. They had been even more self-involved then normal in the last month. Except for their constant attempts to set him up with women. That was the very reason that he had accepted Rose's invitation that they attend the party together.

He was still slightly surprised that he had made it to the party. The entire day he had been looking for some reason that he could call in and ask for a rain check. Sophie had coughed that afternoon. Damon thought it was considerate that he didn't want to let Anna get sick but the cough had just been a cough and he knew Jeremy wouldn't allow the excuse. Still, even after Anna had arrived at the house he had been looking for an out. Ty had been struggling on his math homework at the kitchen table. So Damon bent over and tried to be the supportive father and help. Unfortunately, Damon only remembered basic math and Anna was apparently a genius.

So, Damon stood at the entrance to the large ballroom where he grabbed a champagne glass from a passing waiter. Just as Damon was about to make his way further into the room he heard a gasp come from his left side. Looking over he saw both Jeremy and Bonnie silent and staring. After he followed there gaze the realization hit him. He could no longer hear the band it was as somebody had dimmed the lights. The weak foundation where Damon's proverbial sanity sat had a severe threat of collapse. It was Elena. His Elena stood there wrapped in the arms of who he assumed was Stefan. The cousins hadn't seen each other since they were little but it looked like Stefan and it appeared to be Elena but that was impossible.

Elena was dead.

* * *

_Moments after Elena and Damon's phone call had been disconnected the phone buzzed again in Damon's hand. Praying that it was Elena, Damon swiftly flipped it open and answered the phone._

_"Hello"_

_The voice that croaked out from Damon was desperate._

_"I just saw the news, have you heard from Elena?"_

_It was Alaric on the line. Damon could hear the worry in his voice and it made Damon's heart feel as though it had gained weight in a few measly moments. What did he mean he had seen the news and what would that have to do with Elena? During the next thirty minutes through the news and being informed by Alaric, Damon was informed of the tragic events that happened. Alaric had promised that he would pick up Ty from school. Sophie was already with Jenna and so when Alaric left school with Ty the siblings would be together. As the plans were being set into place, Damon was already in the car driving towards New York. The drive was agonizingly long and getting into New York City was almost near impossible._

_He had told a police officer his wife was in the tower when it had collapsed and he needed to find her. The officer directed him to the different hospitals that she could have been transported to. The probability remained that she was still buried underneath the ruble. He knew he was blocks away and yet a cloud of smoke from the debris surrounded him. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, his mind hadn't been clear for hours. Damon would soon learn that like the dust that encased the city his mind would take time to clear again. For now he was going through the motions._

_For a week he stayed in the city and roamed from location to location hoping to find the love of his life. He finally found his answer at one of the smaller hospitals. One of the hospitals that took the overflow of people and had a board of pictures. The pictures held unidentified victims, some severely wounded and a larger list of those that were dead. That's where he saw her picture. Under the list of fatalities lay a picture of his girl covered in ash. She was swollen and bruised but it was Elena and it was Elena's black jacket he had bought her last Christmas. It was the jacket that was now tattered and worn that was encasing her broken body. The dust in his mind finally cleared and the broken man was released. It was those deep broken sobs that come from your very soul that broke through his lips. He fell in a near by chair and sobbed for the lost life. He cried for his lost friend, mother to his children, and piece of his very being._

* * *

Damon didn't realize he had started walking towards her. As if some force outside of himself was pulling him towards her. Before he reached the couple and the blonde they were socializing with, his cousin had spotted him.

"Damon is that you? I'm so glad you could make it."

Stefan embraced Damon in a brotherly hug and introduced him to his fiancé 'Katherine' when they released. The girl smiled politely and put out her hand telling Damon it was nice to meet him. Damon quickly recovered from his thoughts that were racing with memories of his dead wife. He gave his signature smirk he used to hide what he was thinking.

"Damon, the pleasure is all mine."

By the time that they had exchanged pleasantries Rose had reached his side. Damon almost choked as he introduced her to the couple of the hour. It almost felt like he was doing something wrong. Like he was cheating on the girl he had just met moments ago. After Rose was introduced she asked Damon to dance and they departed to the floor in the center. That is where the night progressed, Damon and Rose dancing underneath the large chandelier. His eyes however were constantly jumping around to spot where Katherine stood, so he could see whom she was talking to, and what she was doing. She was almost always with Stefan or the blonde girl, Caroline. Damon's gaze was on her when she laughed and then whispered something to Stefan. He watched as she was released from Stefan's gentle hold and she made her way to the entranceway. Katherine walked out of the room and Damon was again pulled to follow her. The excuse was made of needing to use the bathroom and he was off.

When he made his way to the hall he looked around wondering where the beauty had went. That's when he noticed the brown wavy curls against the red dress standing outside. He opened the door and sucked in a breath when he saw her standing there with her arms wrapped around her waist. The noise caused for her to look in his direction.

"Needed a breath of fresh air"

Damon stated as he made his way towards her, trying to ease his racing heart.

"Me too, it got a little stuffy in there."

Her voice came out small and quiet.

"Don't you girls love that kind of thing?"

_Elena didn't_, Damon thought in his head as he stared at Katherine.

"Honestly, all the people are intimidating. I prefer small gatherings."

"Well you probably should have not invited the whole town if you were looking for small and intimate."

The comment came off with a smirk and as if he was chastising an old friend.

"It's more for Caroline and Stefan. They love this kind of thing."

"How long have you known Stefan?"

For the first time since he had started talking to Katherine outside, she turned and made eye contact with him. There was a beat of silence.

"I should probably get back inside. Stefan will be wondering where I am."

Damon although confused responded with a nod and made a step back so she could move past him. After he heard the door close, Damon remained standing outside as he tried to clear his head.

Finally, he turned and made his way back into the building and towards the ballroom. Seconds after he walked through the archway loud gasps sounded and then a scream.

"Katherine!"

Damon's eyes darted to the man who shouted her name. He watched as Stefan rushed to a limp body that appeared to have collapsed on the floor.


	4. Finding Answers

_Stefan had heard of a girl that was currently being treated at this hospital, a Jane Doe. She had serious head injuries; they had said her face was nearly unrecognizable. The Jane Doe couldn't seem to remember who she was. The hospital had placed fliers and commercial ads around New York of what they think she would look like according to her bone structure. The resemblance to Katherine was uncanny. He knew that it had to be her. The other option was just too hard to handle._

_Stephan had fallen in love with Katherine the moment he saw her. His family had moved to New York his sophomore year of high school. It took till Stephan's junior year to get up the courage to even talk to Katherine. It had taken another year for Katherine to decide that he was worthy of more then a few moments of her time. Caroline, his best friend, used to give him such a hard time over that fact. Caroline just didn't know Katherine the way that Stefan did. Stefan had seen a really sweet side to Katherine when they had first started dating. He knew that she just had problems letting people in because of all the crap from her home life. Caroline and Katherine had just called a truce for the sake of Stefan two months before the plane crashed. He was worried that this would send them all back to square one. He couldn't imagine the thought of not having Caroline or Katherine in his life. The idea would need to be put to the side for the moment; he needed to make sure that Katherine was ok._

_The moment he walked into the hospital room his feet nearly gave way. There the beauty lay with white strips hugging her face and arms. There were slight differences to her features. Her nose was smaller and her face wasn't its normal heart shape but more oval. The plastics surgeon had warned him there might be slight differences due to swelling and the fact they did not have any pictures when restructuring her face. So Stefan didn't question it because those eyes that stared back at him, they were Katherine's eyes. He would have sworn on his mother's grave._

_ Stefan quietly made his way to Katherine's bedside and took her hand in his. This is where he belonged; she needed him now more then ever. He watched as Katherine's eyes darted to their hands and then to his face. Stefan had prepared himself for the next questions that came out of her mouth but the words still broke his heart._

_"Who are you?" Katherine's raspy voice responded._

* * *

Jeremy was pacing the halls of the hospital. Debating whether he should have come. He had just dropped off Bonnie at the house and spent an hour convincing Damon that Katherine was not Elena. Once Jeremy left Damon and he no longer had to worry about his brother in law doing something crazy his mind began to work on over drive. It was obviously just the fact that they missed Elena. It was absurd to think another girl could be identical to his sister. The similarities still were uncanny. He had to know.

Elena and Jeremy had found out they were both adopted. They found out a month after their parents died and a year after Damon and Elena had been married. Elena had decided she didn't want to meet her biological parents. Told Jeremy that she knew her parents and she had her own family now. Jeremy had decided to respect his sister and leave it alone. There had been moments when Jeremy considered finding his biological parents, when he married Bonnie or when Elena had died. He had never actually taken the steps to find them though.

Now after seeing Katherine he wondered if it was possible that Elena had another sister. One that her biological parents had decided to keep or maybe one that went to a different family. If Elena was still alive he might not care but Elena was dead and he could possibly be in the same building as a girl who was related to his sister. He had to know.

"Jeremy, the nurse said you were looking for me?"

"Hey Matt, I need your help." Jeremy stated pulling out a hairbrush in a plastic bag, as if that said everything.

Matt had been a childhood friend for both Jeremy and Elena. Elena and Matt had tried to date for a short time in high school until Matt developed feelings for the British exchange student, Rebekah. Jeremy and Matt had remained friends through the break up and through the disaster that was Matt's relationship with Rebekah. Matt and Elena had also begun talking again before he left for medical school.

Matt was currently a resident at the Mystic Fall's hospital and also somebody that Jeremy trusted.

"I don't need your hairbrush Jeremy."

"A girl came in here tonight, Katherine Pierce. She fainted at a party due to dehydration. I need you to compare her DNA with Elena's DNA."

Matt stood frozen for a moment looking at his friend as if he had gone mad, maybe he had.

"Not only am I fairly convinced that violates HIPPA that's also fairly creepy. We should just let the dead rest in peace."

"I know I may be crazy but I need to know if that girl is related to Elena and then in some way related to me. I lost everyone else."

The plea must have worked because Matt grabbed for the bag as he grumbled something and walked off in the direction he had come from.

* * *

Damon slammed the door to his black suv and glared down at the vehicle. He had traded in his beautiful 1969 chevy camaro convertible nine years ago when him and Elena had first decided it was time to start a family. Elena had said that a convertible wasn't a 'family car'. It had turned into their biggest fight, ever. It had lasted three days and Elena even let Damon think for a short time that he might actually win the fight. Even though Damon was currently in a foul mood, when he thought of the night he had caved, a smirk appeared on his face. Elena had thanked him in more than a sufficient way.

"Dad"

Damon turned to look at Ty who had just stepped out of the car and was looking rather timid. The look was however well deserved and reminded Damon why he was in a foul mood.

"Ty Jonathan Salvatore I told you to go to your room. I will be up in a little bit."

Ty hung his head and walked into the house through the big blue door. Damon was thankful Ty didn't decide it was a time to back talk. The boy was seven and he had already started to test the limits. There was no denying that Ty was the son of Damon Salvatore. The current situation seemed to deny Damon his wish that the kids would follow Elena and her sweet disposition instead of Damon and his rebellious one.

In answer to his thought process Damon felt five small fingers clasp around three of his large calloused ones. When he looked down he saw his small little ladybug looking up at him with her big innocent eyes. He followed the young girl as she began walking towards the house.

"Daddy I think Ty needs some chicken noodle soup."

"O yeah and why do you think that ladybug?"

The daddy and daughter duo both walked into the kitchen. Damon quickly picked Sophie up in his arms and placed her on the counter. Before even hearing the response he was already starting to pull out the ingredients to make his homemade chicken noodle soup, Damon found the process of cooking to be soothing.

"When I had the sniffles last week you made me chicken noodle soup and it made me feel better and I don't think Ty feels very well."

Sophie stated very matter of fact as she kicked her legs back and forth.

The principle had called Damon at work just over an hour ago. Ty had gotten into a fight with one of his classmates. It was probably for a selfish reason, like him not getting to be team captain for soccer. The boy sure did love soccer. He didn't even know what to do, how to punish the boy. Years ago he wouldn't have punished him, he probably would have been strangely proud because his son was obviously stronger then the other boy. He had to be the disciplinarian now though. No matter how helpless he felt at the job. This kind of thing had always been Elena's territory. So Damon tried to process and think how she would have responded. Then he could almost picture Elena, bent down in front of their son talking to him. _She _would_ have heard the story from him._

Guilt quietly crept over the single dad when he realized he hadn't taken the time. The moment he had heard 'fight' Damon had just assumed the worst. The worst part is he realized he was responding, as his parents would have. His mom would have ignored the situation and his father would have responded in anger and rage. Damon had swore he would be better then his parents. Ty and Sophie deserved to know they were loved and their mother was no longer there to tell them. Forgetting about the contents that lay on the counter Damon swiftly picked up Sophie and placed her on the ground.

"Why don't you go to your room and play for a little."

Damon gently stated before running his hands through her hair.

"I want to help you cook."

"Well how could I cook without my helper? I'll get you before I start, I promise."

He put out his pinky finger in attempt to show her he was serious. Sophie linked their pinkies together and then quickly released before bounding up the stairs with a soft giggle. Damon waited to hear the click of her door close before he also made his way upstairs. Going straight to his son's door and opening it without bothering to knock. Ty didn't realize he had entered and it gave Damon a few moments to observe. The brunette sat on his bed with his back against the wall and his feet pulled close to his chest as he played his gameboy, the blue one that he had gotten for Christmas last year. It was a pretty normal sight except for the expression on Ty's face. Usually while he played his game his face seemed relaxed with the occasional scrunch of his nose and slight sticking out of his tongue when he was at a challenging part. That afternoon the upset expression remained as if frozen on his face. The knowledge that his son was hurting truly made Damon hurt, no matter what the boy had done.

"Ty, we need to talk"

Ty looked up and responded quickly by placing his gameboy down, as he looked startled.

"Dad, I can explain."

"I'm listening"

Damon tried to keep his look stern but loving. He tried to respond as Elena would, so he went and sat on his son's bed as he continued to look at Ty. For the next thirty minutes Ty began to unfold a story for his father. A story of a little boy being picked on because he liked to read instead of play soccer. His friend, Ty, then defended the little boy against the bully. There were times when Damon felt like an insufficient father. He always felt like an insufficient father. It was times like this that he felt not just insufficient but bad. Ty was obviously more like Elena then Damon had thought just a few moments ago. Ty like Elena would stop at nothing to defend a friend. Although Damon knew he couldn't support violence he also didn't want his son to ever think that it was ok to bully people, especially those that are weaker. Before Damon could explain all this to his son he heard his phone ring. Damon quickly looked down at his phone to see who was calling, it was Jeremy.

"Just a minute buddy."

Damon stood up and started to make his way towards the door as he clicked the green answer button.

"Hey, I'm in the middle of something can I call you back?"

"Damon, we really need to talk"


	5. The Revelation

_"I know it took me awhile to write_ the vows, _and I know that you were afraid I would come here with nothing but I just couldn't find the words, there are no words to express how much I love you_

Damon sat nervously tapping his foot on the floor, Jeremy had been so vague on the phone. Now there they all sat Damon, Bonnie, Jeremy, Stefan and the doctor. The doctor with the double chin and big rim glasses, he was also the man in charge of public relations at the hospital. The news had to be something big and Damon had to believe that it was about Katherine. It had to be about the girl that held the face of his long lost love.

"Thank you all for coming in on such short notice. There is some very important information that really can't be shared over the phone."

_You were always a constant in my life, ever since that day you put me in my place at the studio. You were witty, bold, beautiful, and I can't believe that it took me so long to make you mine. _

"We have come across some information about Katherine Pierce. We spoke with her this morning and she asks that we share the information with you. It appears that Katherine Pierce is not actually Katherine Pierce."

It felt as if the air had been sucked out of the room. Damon's mind began to race, the conspiracy theory that she was actually Elena. The idea that Damon had buried way below his subconscious because even the idea made his entire body ache, the thought that she had been out there for more then two years without him. It started to slowly seep it's way into his thoughts again.

"What do you mean she's not Katherine? I have known Katherine since my sophomore year of high school. I think I would know my fiancé."

Stefan had risen from his chair and was broaching the doctor's personal space. Damon couldn't very well blame him, if he had made that accusation and it had been Elena's identity being questioned, the doctor would have already been pushed up against those bookshelves that sat against his wall behind him.

"We ran her blood work three times."

Jeremy and Bonnie were doing their whole whisper and secrecy thing. It usually grated on Damon's nerves but he was preoccupied and actually just noticed. He noticed because Jeremy finally broke from their small circle and spoke to the doctor.

"I'm sorry, I'm confused with how this affects us."

The doctor looked down at his desk and took a deep breath. It was obvious that the doctor was struggling with the words. It wasn't as if mistaken identity happened everyday.

"According to their medical records both Katherine Pierce and Elena Salvatore were transported to hospitals due to injuries sustained from the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. It was first thought Katherine Pierce had sustained serious injuries but was stable and Elena Salvatore was pronounced dead upon arrival to the hospital. Due to recent findings it appears Elena was the one who received the head trauma and facial reconstruction and Katherine was the one pronounced dead due to the severity of her injuries.

They have very similar features and due to the damage done to both bodies we are afraid they were misidentified. It does appear through the DNA results and their records of being adopted or in the foster care system they are most likely biological sisters. The girl that has recently been discharged because of dehydration would appear to be Elena Salvatore."

_The girl that had been discharged was his Elena. _Damon let out a breath that he had unknowingly been holding. The girl who had stolen his heart and never returned it was still alive. Elena had been alive all this time, going on three years. _More then two years._

"If Elena was alive, she would have come looking for me. She wouldn't have left her kids. We were so happy."

The voice that came from Damon was broken and quiet. He hated coming across so broken. The silly woman still knew how to destroy the image of the man he tried to portray.

"She never got her memory back. It's been so long I often forget that she only remembers the last few years of her life."

It was Stefan who had responded to Damon's concern, the once riled up man now currently sat in his chair with his hand against his face and his eyes distant.

"There is still a lot that we don't know or understand about the brain. It's possible because of the damage she will never regain the memory from those years. It is also possible her brain was working so hard to conjure up memories that weren't hers it wasn't able to heal itself."

Damon had heard enough and he stood to make his exit.

_But once I made you mine I knew that I could never let you go. You have somehow made a sane man, crazy or maybe a crazy man, sane. I'm standing here today in a tux, willingly pledging the rest of my life to one woman. So whether I'm sane or crazy it's your call._

"Damon, where are you going?"

Damon heard Stefan ask the question as he made his way down the hospital. The thought crossed his mind to keep walking but Damon knew that he couldn't. At one time Damon and Stefan were practically brothers and Stefan just discovered that the woman he loved was actually dead.

"I'm going to get my wife."

"Damon, we need to be rational about this. She may have been your wife but she doesn't know that life anymore. Think about what pulling her out of everything she knows will do to her."

The comment made Damon take long fast strides back to his cousin. Damon glared at Stefan. There was one thing that would never change; he was not giving Elena up without a fight.

"She's my wife Stefan."

The comment even though it sounded menacing did not cause Stefan to step back. Damon had to give his cousin credit there were few that could stand tall while Damon blazed full rage.

"I love her Damon. She may not actually be Katherine but I have spent over two years with Elena. If you love her then you will let her go. Have you even considered what that will do to Elena's mental state?"

"We had a lifetime together. I was married to her for ten years before the towers collapsed. She bore my children. You aren't saying this for Elena's sanity or because you want what is best for her. You are the one that is being selfish. You heard the doc, with me she might have a chance to remember."

As Damon finished with his argument he noticed that the corridor was no longer empty. Bonnie and Jeremy currently stood outside the door with a look of shell shock. He was sure it would take them more then a few moments to get their bearings. Damon knew that he was running on full adrenaline. Her laughter, long legs, and soft lips were currently floating through his head and are what kept him from combusting with all the information he had just received.

"Fine, but I'm coming with you and were just talking. It will be her choice what she does."

Stefan finally responded as he took a few steps back.

_Whether you classify me as sane or crazy, I love you and I promise to love you through both good and bad times alike, I promise to love you forever." _

_Damon finally finished and smiled at Elena as he held her hands in his. The promise he made today before friends and family he planned on keeping. Damon was going to love Elena Marie Salvatore till his dying day and possibly beyond that._


	6. Ghosts of Engagements Past

_Katherine viewed herself in the full-length mirror that sat in the corner of her New York loft. She slightly twirled in the black strapless dress that ended slightly above her knees. Stefan had bought the dress for her last Christmas and the diamond earrings and necklace for their anniversary. He was constantly buying her clothing, jewelry, chocolates, and flowers since the day they started dating a little over a year ago. It came from a good heart and so she would never tell him but it made her feel slightly cheap. In a sense it made her feel as though he was trying to buy her affections._

_Katherine felt wrong complaining because Stefan had been so compassionate and kind during her recovery. He had driven her to every doctor's appointment and every therapy session. He had wrangled in his friend Caroline to help her get ready in the morning. The start was rough, Katherine got the sense that Caroline was not very fond of her. The idea that Stefan was the only person who seemed to care for was somewhat discouraging. She told herself it didn't matter because she didn't want to sound ungrateful. Caroline and Katherine eventually did bond over their forced encounters. Katherine was pulled from her memories when she heard a knock on her door._

_As she opened the door, Katherine saw Stephen standing in his black tux with his skinny black tie and he held in his arms a dozen red roses, roses that he quickly held out for Katherine to grasp. He had made reservations at the new restaurant that had been getting great reviews since they opened the month before. Katherine hoped that she was dressed properly. Caroline had claimed she looked 'sexy' when she was helping her get ready a few moments ago. Then again it was Caroline, the girl was known for her bubbly exaggerations._

_"Thank You, they are beautiful. Let me go put them in water."_

_Katherine stated as she eyed Stefan suspiciously. She wondered if she was able to remember beyond two years ago if she would have known what Stefan was thinking when he was so quiet. It wasn't very uncommon for Stefan to remain silent, but it was something about his mannerisms that night. The odd behavior continued as they made their way to the restaurant and even when they were seated. The conversation became almost stiff and awkward. As it had been when she first met him in that hospital bed and when he had been a stranger to her. Stefan was no longer a stranger and she loved him, but tonight he was acting, different._

_Finally, they had ordered desert. Katherine was silently praying that the night would soon end. As they waited Stefan again became strangely quiet and Katherine tried to carry a conversation, which was no easy task tonight. _

_Stefan's eyes darted to the waiter as he made his way towards their table and Stefan slowly stopped speaking. The moment they placed the chocolate cake in front of her, Katherine realized why. Sitting on top of the cake was a small black box. Katherine gasped for a moment as Stefan snatched up the box. Stefan then removed himself from the table and retreated to one knee._

_"Katherine I have loved you since I was a Sophomore in High School and I knew that you were the girl for me."_

_Katherine wondered if she had known the same._

_"I can't imagine spending my life with anybody else. Will you marry me?"_

_The box in Stefan's hand was suddenly flipped open and the most beautiful ring appeared inside. Katherine felt all the patrons of the restaurant gaze at the couple who were seated in the middle of the restaurant. Katherine's mouth finally caught up to her mind._

_"Yes, of course I will."_

_This was going to be her happily ever after._

* * *

Elena rotated the ring around her finger. She wasn't sure if she should take it off. The ring belonged to a girl named Katherine. Katherine had never actually seen or worn it, but still Elena believed it was Katherine's. A girl that had been dead for almost three years and her loved ones were not able to mourn her loss. Pictures of Stefan and Caroline came to her mind. They had both become so important to her. She had grown to love them. Part of her wondered if they would now hate her. She had unknowingly been an imposter and conned them all. Before she could think much more Elena saw through the window, a car drive into the driveway of the boarding house.

The boarding house that seemed to be missing something but she couldn't very well put a finger on it. Elena never voiced that thought to Stefan because she knew he would have went and continuously bought her things until she realized what she had been looking for. He had always been good to her. She told herself he was too good to her and that's why she wasn't going to say anything. Deep down even under her subconscious Elena knew that money couldn't buy what the house was looking for and that was the real reason she had never mentioned it to Stefan.

"Nice house, cousin"

She recognized the voice come from the man she had seen at the engagement party. The one who had constantly had his eyes on her and unless there was another Damon Salvatore he was also the one she was married to. She couldn't deny the man was attractive. She was sure that he could just look at a girl with those blue eyes and make them melt.

Elena mindlessly traced her hand along the big oak table. It was almost certain Damon Salvatore and all those who use to know Elena Salvatore had already grieved her death. Making it easier for Elena to decide that she needed to keep moving forward. She would choose to stay with Stefan. She may not be Katherine Peirce but she had grown to love the man, Stefan Salvatore. He had been there for her when nobody else had. As both Damon and Stefan approached her she heard Stefan respond with a thank you to his cousin. The moment they entered the room the boys went silent and both eyes went on her. The two cousins had unknowingly fallen in love with the same girl.

* * *

_Elena had known Damon for rounding on ten years now and she had never seen him act so strange. He currently sat behind the wheel of his precious camaro but his mind was somewhere else entirely. She had noticed the second she stepped into his car. He had greeted her with a kiss, as he had every time they greeted since they first started dating. The difference was this time he pulled away first. Damon Salvatore never pulled away from a kiss first. Instead, he often would go in for an innocent kiss and then take his hand and lace it through her hair in attempts to pull her closer. She wasn't complaining, they always left her breathless and satisfied. At first she had asked what it was for, as if a boyfriend needed a reason to kiss his girl with such intensity. Still, he always responded the same._

_"So I never forget your mine."_

_Her handsome boyfriend was not actually mentally in that car with her at that current moment. So she began to test her theory. She started out small with simply saying silly things. He continued to tap his fingers on the steering wheel and stare out the window as he drove occasionally throwing in a nod or "hmm, that's interesting". Now, she was going in for the biggest test. She slipped out of her white flats and scrunched up her legs to allow her feet to press up against the dashboard. He always hated when she did that. Unfortunately for her, it was only seconds before he stopped at the destination._

_Elena had been so busy seeing if she could get a response from Damon she hadn't even realized where they ended up. She looked around and realized they were at the Lake House._

_Before she could ask their reason for being at the Lake House she realized he was staring at her, with the same blue eyes that pulled her in every time. Slowly she lowered her feet and tried to give the best innocent face. Instead of reprimanding her or giving any suggestion he had even seen her feet, he told her to wait where she was. So she did._

_She sat and waited as she watched him run into the Lake House. For the first five minutes Elena thought about how beautiful the snow was. Then the next five minutes the cold had seeped through the car and eventually reached her very core. She finally had enough, pulled open the door and rushed to the door of the house hoping that Damon had at least warmed the house while he left her out to freeze. It was obvious she didn't know what was going on in that mind of his but she was getting upset._

_The moment she flew open the door the yelling of his name suddenly got stuck in her throat. There he stood, the man of her dreams, surrounded by at least a hundred different white candles. Damon had a lighter in his hand and was frantically trying to light a section that hadn't yet been lit. Only to stop when he noticed her standing there._

_"This isn't how it was supposed to go."_

_Damon finally says as if he had somehow failed her. Elena forgot all about the car ride and the fact that she was supposed to be angry with him for leaving her in the cold. Only then did she fully take in what he was wearing. Instead of the black t-shirt, leather jacket, and jeans. Damon was all decked out in black pants and a nice white button up shirt. He had the tie she had bought him as a gag gift loosely tied around his neck - Damon hated ties. The look of frustration clearly written on his face matched his disheveled hair that he had so obviously thrown his hand through, more then once. Elena approached him timidly as if she might spook him._

_"How what is supposed to go?"_

_Elena spoke quietly and calmly._

_"I swear, they said all the candles were lit before they left. I knew_

_I should have had them stay. I just wanted it to be perfect."_

_Quietly, Elena put her hand on his cheek in an effort to hold his gaze._

_He was shaking. This was so uncharacteristic of Damon. She knew Damon hated to appear as if he wasn't in complete control and put together._

_"Hey, it's ok. Who else was here? I wouldn't have minded if they stayed but I also don't mind just you and a few unlit candles."_

_Elena's words seemed to calm down the anxious Damon._

_"Alaric, Jeremy, and your Dad, you just always use to say this kind of thing was meant to be private and personal."_

_The moment then seemed to freeze in place. She knew exactly what conversation he was talking about and she knew exactly what he was about to do. Or what he had wanted to do. Without much thought she grabbed his face between her hands and she kissed him. Unlike in the car, Damon quickly returned the intensity and wrapped his arms around her back. Finally, she pulled away and looked up at Damon who was wearing his very common smirk._

_"What was that about?"_

_Damon whispered with the deep voice that always made her feel wanted and desired._

_"Just so you remember I'm yours"_

_They then both released each other from the entangled embrace they had found themselves in. Elena watched as Damon took a step back and a deep breath._

_"Elena Gilbert I am madly and deeply in love with you and that is why"_

_Elena's breath caught for a second time as she watched Damon get down on one knee._

_"I can't live another day without asking you to be my wife. Will you marry me?"_

_Elena couldn't be sure she actually got out a yes and she was certain she had not looked at the ring before she launched into his arms. The impact of her hug caused for Damon to almost fall backwards but he caught himself and wrapped his arms around her. Elena then watched as he looked at her so tenderly and wrapped his hand around her neck at the base of her hairline, only to pull her in for a kiss that deserved it's own theme song. No matter all the problems, this was the best day of Elena's 23 years of life._

* * *

The moment Damon saw Elena the response was the same as it had been at the engagement party. Damon no longer remembered his cousin or the large house he had just entered all he had was a tunnel vision for that beautiful girl. The very idea he was getting a second chance to be with her was almost overwhelming. Everyone around him had been pressuring Damon to move on, to find closure with her death. Damon had tried to move on from Elena but she had always been such a large piece of him he doubted he ever could. Now he knew that he didn't need to. She may not remember him but he remembered her. He remembered all of it, the good the bad and the ugly. He also remembered that she had once been in love with him and so he had to believe one day she would again.

"Damon, I'm glad you came we probably should talk."

Damon realized he had gotten lost in his memories and Elena and Stefan were currently standing side by side. Damon watched as Elena looked at Stefan and he gave her a silent nod before exiting the room. The intimacy of silence communication between his wife and another man was hard to view. Elena then gestured for him to sit down with her at the big table that sat in the middle of the room they were currently occupying. No matter how he tried Damon could not meet Elena's gaze. She kept her eyes focused on her hands. Every few seconds she would grab a few of her fingers gently squeeze and then release. Damon knew that this was not a good sign.

"So, the information from this morning was a lot to take in."

Damon tried to start; he figured it was like a bandage. If she was going to tell him something he didn't like then it would be a quick painful process and he could see the damage that was underneath. Damon subconsciously went to grab one of her hands. Before the towers collapsed, he would take her hand in his and rub his thumb up and down to remind her he was there. Elena pulled away the moment he reached out and he realized something he hadn't let himself think. She was his cousin's girl. Legally she may still be bound to Damon but somehow her heart no longer did. There was the even scarier thought that maybe she was no longer the Elena he had loved for so long.

"I think it's best if we just keep living as we were before we found out the hospital mix up. We may have loved each other once but I love Stefan now."

"You may not know who I am right now but the doctor said you might get your memory back if you go back to your old life."

Damon watched her as a battle played out behind her eyes. No matter what the decision was today he knew that it was going to end up messy. He couldn't be selfish; he had to do right by his kids and also his wife.

"I'm sure you have moved on from the life we used to have together."

There were no words for Damon to say. She made him feel small and weak from the way she said it, especially since everyone knew he had not moved on.

"You know what, I have to go and get home to the kids. It was good seeing you again Elena."

Damon got up and made an effort to storm out the door by the time he made it to the doorway Elena responded.

"See you have kids, this is for the best."

That finally was Damon's breaking point. Damon made her way in quick strides back to Elena, while pulling out his wallet and the picture of Sophie and Ty.

"No Elena, they are our children. Me and you, my wife."

She stayed silent for a short time, obviously surprised by his sudden outburst. Then she looked up at him and Damon noticed the tears that began to pool in her eyes, instantly his anger shrunk.

"I didn't realize we had children."

It was as if the clouds had opened a brief glimmer of hope showed for Damon. He didn't see hope because she was sad, he saw hope because he caught a glimpse of Elena. His Elena would never want to leave her kids without a mom and it was obvious this new Elena felt the same way. They stayed like that for a few moments as Elena bit her lip in deep thought.

"Ok, we'll figure this out just give me tonight to talk to Stefan and I choose Stefan. I wouldn't want kids to be without their mom but I don't want you to think I'm choosing you, I'm staying with Stefan."

Damon sighed and nodded as he made his way towards the door, he would take what he could get. Before he exited the house he turned back to Elena and gave a small smirk.

"Just so you know Elena. I will always choose you."


	7. Dinner for Five

"Then the crowd went wild"

Damon laughed at Ty as he explained in detail the soccer game they had just left. It was common for Ty to be enthusiastic after his team win's a soccer game but this one in particular had him bursting with excitement. Damon assumed it had to do with that fact Ty scored the winning goal. He could still picture his son pumping his fist in the air and that sparkle in his eye. It always made a father joyful to see his son so incredibly happy.

"I want to play soccer"

Sophie piped in as she released her hand from Damon's. It was obvious the young girl had a growing admiration for her, oh so cool older brother. These moments the world was right, there was no wife with a severe case of amnesia, and no cousin rivalry. The moments never lasted very long.

"Ok, buddy go change, we have guests coming over for dinner."

Elena, Stefan, and Damon had decided that dinner would be a good chance for Elena to meet the kids, her kids. It was obvious Stefan liked the idea because he could be there and make sure Damon didn't woo over Elena. It appeared that Elena was just going along with Stefan. Damon had requested they have it at his house. Well, ask any parent with young children and they would understand why he was hesitant to eat out. Meeting two new faces, at least faces they wouldn't recognize, would be enough excitement for Ty and Sophie for one night. Also, Damon may have a secret weapon for the night.

Damon made his way towards the kitchen and began to pull out the ingredients he had bought earlier in the week. Damon had to do a few things in the office that morning before he left directly to go and watch Ty play soccer, so Damon was already dressed in black slacks and a nice button up. He swiftly placed most of the food that he had prepared ahead of time in the oven to heat up.

"Daddy can I help?"

There stood Sophie at the doorway of the kitchen. She was always so eager to help him in the kitchen. Damon was sure that she would soon be taking over the cooking, once her head could reach over the counter, so he decided long ago to enjoy the time she still liked him. Though, tonight he was using the grill and he didn't like the idea of his little girl around open flame.

"Ladybug, I'm using the grill tonight. Why don't you go play in your room."

Sophie pulled out her little pout and Damon tried to hold back his smirk. She was her mother's daughter and her pout was rather lethal.

"Daddy"

Sophie pulled out each syllable to express her disgruntled opinion of this idea. So Damon mimicked her tone and drawl.

"Sophie"

Out of the corner of Damon's eye he watched her stand there for a few moments with her hands on her hips and her pouty lip out. When she realized Damon was going to stick to his statement and was not going to give her any more attention she angrily stomped up the stairs. Damon rolled his eyes when he heard the distant slamming of a door. He was sure her attitude was just a teaser of what he could look forward to when she became a teenager, like her mother.

* * *

_"Elena, Open the door"_

_Damon sighed; he had been standing outside her bedroom door for going on ten minutes. They had just gotten back from dinner and Elena had made the ride to her house almost unbearable. She wouldn't say one word to him. As Damon watched her angrily march towards her house he came to the conclusion that he needed to follow her. He was leaving for college that weekend and he couldn't risk the chance of leaving with her being mad at him here at home. _

_"Elena, Just tell me what I did wrong."_

_Damon was surprised her parents had not yet come out and forced him to leave. They hadn't liked him in the beginning. They had told Elena that he was too old. He knew it was because of the reputation he had around town with women. He wasn't sure what initially made her parents change their mind, the fact remained Elena would never be like those other girls to him. There were no other girl's doors that he would stand outside of until they opened up to him even though he was frustrated and they were being emotional._

_The night had been going really well at the start. Damon had found yet another excuse so he could take Elena out for dinner. He wondered how long he could pull off hiding the fact that he was madly in love with Elena. It wasn't really actually hidden, everybody but Elena was fully aware that Damon was crazy about her._

_He nearly blurted out the words 'I love you' when she had done that cute little smirk at the restaurant after making one of her snarky comments. So he had focused his efforts on picking up the waitress. He rarely picked up girls since he came to the realization that he loved Elena and when he did, Damon made sure Elena wasn't around. He didn't want her to view him the way everyone else did._

_Something inside of him had snapped that night. Damon knew all the right words to make a girl go crazy. He wanted to tell Elena that she looked beautiful and all that subtle flirting he enjoyed so much. So he usually did, he rarely let her walk the halls of their high school without his arm securely around her and he was an expert at slipping in compliments to the beauty. Still, Elena Gilbert was classified as his best friend and nothing more. He knew this because she had said it at the restaurant. The words she had said were still echoing through his head. 'You are such a great friend Damon'. If she were not locked away in her room he would still be trying to get the words out through alcohol and women._

_"Elena, you're being childish"_

_Damon watched as Elena finally cracked the door open and peaked out at him. The fact she had changed into her shorts and t-shirt she wore for bed did not go unnoticed by him. The very idea that she looked just as beautiful as she did moments ago was also at the forefront of his mind._

_"Damon nothing is wrong I just want to go to bed. If you are so desperate to hang out with somebody more mature, I know there is a college girls number in your jacket pocket."_

_A smirk was beginning to form on Damon's face at the knowledge of Elena being jealous. He couldn't revel in the idea because he realized she was about to close the door again. In a quick action he placed his foot against the door to keep it from closing. He watched as Elena tried with little success to close it anyway. She of course was weaker then him and he quickly pushed open the door. Damon made sure not to actually push so hard that he hurt his girl. The anger she was trying to claim was already wavering. Once Damon got into her room he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder._

_"Damon put me down"_

_A slight giggle erupted from her mouth along with her demand. By the time he made his way down the stairs and into the living room she wasn't even screaming anymore. Just occasionally did he feel a punch against his back but mainly it was her giggles._

_Putting the Breakfast Club dvd into the player while he continued to hold Elena over his shoulders proved to be his greatest challenge. Of course he managed just fine._

_Finally he threw her gently against the sofa and then sat on her legs when she tried to escape. Before the opening monologue had even finished Elena had stopped fighting and Damon had released her legs. Damon smiled as he felt Elena curl into his side. _

_The movie continued on but Elena's breathing had become even around half way through the movie. So when the movie ended he gently picked her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs and into her bed. He meant to just leave after he gently placed her under the covers but he couldn't. She looked so peaceful and he just needed to tell her before he left, even if it was the unconscious form that wouldn't be aware of it tomorrow. Damon gently rubbed his thumb across her cheek and whispered._

_"You have no idea what you do to me. Lena I am in love with you. The kind of love I didn't even know existed, until you."_

_He wanted to say more but didn't want to get caught so he exited the room and refrained from looking back. If he had looked back he would have seen a pair of eyes blink open and stare at his retreating form._

* * *

"Dad, coach said that I should try out for the travel team. He said I would definitely make it. So Dad can I? Please Dad?"

Damon had just started the grill when his boy came running out and started going off about soccer again. Ty had been obedient and changed into the outfit Damon had left on his bed earlier. It was obvious that he was still however on the soccer field in his brain and Damon wondered if he would talk throughout dinner. It would be nice to have somebody to fill silence and Ty wasn't often this talkative. Elena would get to know at least part of who Ty was rather quickly tonight.

"Yeah we'll figure it out buddy but lets talk about it tomorrow. I left the plates and silverware on the table can you go set it for me."

"Dad, what about Sophie?"

"Sophie can help put out the silverware."

"Make sure you ask nicely" Damon added as Ty raced into the house.

Once Damon made sure the burgers wouldn't burn being left for a couple minutes he quickly followed his son inside. There was a great chance a fight was going to ensue between the siblings. The last thing he wanted was Stefan and Elena arriving with the opinion that he couldn't raise his own kids.

"Sophie, what are you wearing?"

Sophie was currently walking down the stairs with her skirt made of tulle around her waist, her feather boa wrapped around her neck, and her silver plastic crown placed upon her head. The mere fact that Damon could spot and label tulle and boa was almost embarrassing, the fact he had on more then one occasion worn both was the most embarrassing and a secret he would gladly take to his grave.

"I told you Dad wouldn't like it."

Ty told his younger sister as they both finally stepped onto the first floor. Damon was about to respond when the doorbell rang. The clock already read 7 pm.

"It's fine. Ty and Sophie go and set the table."

Damon made his way towards the door and opened it only to spot the most beautiful girl and his idiot of a cousin. They exchanged pleasantries as he welcomed them into his home. Damon was taking the coats when Sophie walked out in all her glory.

"Elena and Stefan this is Sophie the princess."

Before anybody could say anything Ty came running in behind Sophie.

"Dad can I go out and kick the soccer ball before"

He stopped midsentence when he saw the two strangers standing in his house.

"and that is Ty the soccer stud."

Elena kneeled down to the kids level and introduced herself. The nerves she was caring were almost invisible to the human eye but he was Damon and she was Elena. Stefan then followed by placing his hand out and introducing himself. Damon rolled his eyes at the image of Stefan and Sophie shaking hands.

"Well you guys can go ahead and sit in the dinning room. I just need to pull the food off the grill and out of the oven."

It was a good thing that they had just planned for dinner. Each time he entered the dinning room with food he was greeted with nothing but silence. His kids sat on one side and Elena and Stefan on the other. Elena occasionally tried to start conversation but his kids rarely responded more then necessary. Neither Ty nor Sophie was ever big fans of people they didn't know but Damon had hoped it would be different tonight. He wanted that for Elena. He scanned the table burgers, asparagus, and mashed potatoes.

"Ok, well lets eat before all this food gets cold."

Damon finally sat at the head of the table. He took the plate of burgers and cut one in half giving half to Sophie and the other half to Ty. Before placing a burger on his own plate he silently handed it towards Stefan and then Elena. Elena refrained from grabbing one and was about to say something but Stefan beat her to it.

"Kat – I mean Elena doesn't eat meat."

Damon was about to laugh out loud. His cousin had no idea who that incredible woman was that sat beside him. The very idea he didn't even know Elena's favorite food. The very idea Elena didn't know her favorite food was a painful reminder. Damon picked up a burger and placed it on Elena's plate.

"Eat it. Trust me. If you don't like it I will personally go find a place where I can get you that horrible tofu crap."

Elena hesitantly lifted the burger to her lips and for the moment it was in the air fear grasped at Damon. The idea that maybe Elena really had changed so much in the past years that even her taste buds were different. After her first bite and tender chewing all the fear quickly vanished. She still made the same face when she ate something that she thought was delicious. It had taken Damon two years of cooking Elena stuffed crab and sirloin steak to realize that her favorite food he made was his burger with the homemade seasoning.

"You know Daddy says if you keep your face like that it will freeze."

Sophie's statement pulled Damon from his thoughts and memories. He turned and was about to tell her to apologize to Elena when he realized she wasn't talking to her. Sophie was sitting and staring directly at Stefan who was currently glaring at the other two adults at the table. The facial expression on Stefan's face when he realized they were all staring at him, except for Elena who was fairly gone over her burger. When Stefan made eye contact with Damon he merely shrugged and mouthed the word 'kids'.

"Ty why don't you tell Elena about your soccer game today. He just so happened to score the game winning goal."

Damon told Elena as he raised his eyebrows in her direction and speared the asparagus on his plate with his fork. Thankfully Ty decided that it was a good time to share and he talked as everyone else ate in silence. Aside from Elena who occasionally asked questions or added sounds to show she was listening. Play tea with Sophie for a few minutes and Damon knew she was a winner with the kids. He couldn't say the same thing about Stefan. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Sophie sit and kick her legs back and forth as she ate. Occasionally Sophie would look up and glare at Stefan who sat across from her. Not that Damon was complaining but he would have to talk with her about that later. Possibly give her some money or a puppy.

The meal was finishing up and Ty was just finishing his stories about his soccer with Elena. It was a rarity that Ty talked to Damon as much as he was talking to Elena. That alone showed the connection the two shared, beyond any previous relationship that both of them had forgotten. Ty rarely talked about his mother or what he remembered if anything about the memories of her. It only made sense that Ty remembered at least some of his mother. Damon understood not wanting to talk about her though, he had never wanted to talk about his mother after her death either. Damon and Elena would eventually have to talk to Sophie and Ty about all of it but currently he wasn't strong enough.

"Can I be excused now?"

Damon looked over at Sophie who was sitting looking at him with her empty plate in front of her.

"Sure but it's soon bed time. You know, maybe you can show Elena your tea set."

Elena needed to bond with the kids and she needed to remember why she loved them and maybe one day she would remember why she loved Damon as well. Both Elena and Sophie were soon both going up the stairs and leaving the three men in an uncomfortable silence.

Ty stood up from the table and was about to make a quick get away.

"Where are you going?"

Ty quietly sat back down knowing what his father was looking for.

"Can I be excused?"

"Sure but it's almost your bedtime too Mister."

The comment didn't seem to phase the seven year old as he jumped up from his chair and scurried up the stairs. Damon stood and silently began clearing the table. He would have preferred not being left alone with Stefan. It wasn't however the worst thing in the world. If Damon was being completely honest his biggest fear was that Sophie would bond with him. Sophie seemed to bond with everyone. It was one thing for Stefan to take his wife's affection it would be another one entirely if he took his kids too. As Damon entered the kitchen he heard Sophie's loud scream of anguish. Acting purely on instinct Damon quickly made his way towards the stairs. Before he even made it up one stair, he caught his little ladybug that was now in tears. He vaguely heard Sophie shout as she leapt down the stairs, something about wanting her Daddy.

One look at a distraught looking Elena he could vaguely piece together what happened. Especially after Sophie kept repeating the words 'Sire Squiggles'. 'Sire Squiggles', her favorite bear often was in attendance for all her tea parties and often, especially when she was tired, Sophie would overreact about somebody placing the bear in any seat other then the blue one. Damon was trying to teach her to be flexible and it wasn't ok to throw fits but sometimes after a long day the littlest thing could set her off.

That's what Damon tried to explain to Elena as he rocked Sophie in his arms. It was also appearing to work and then Damon said

"You just don't know them"

and the face of devastation was back.

* * *

Stefan watched the whole scene unfold from the doorway of the kitchen. He watched his cousin rock a weeping girl in his arms while talking up the stairs. Elena then reached Stefan's line of sight and he saw that look on her face. The look remained as Damon turned his attention completely on his daughter. She obviously longed to have that relationship with Sophie that Damon had with her. There was only one solution that Stephen could reach. Both Stephen and Elena could win over custody of the kids after they married. It was obvious the courts would side with them, she was there mother and he could provide more then adequately where the finances were concerned. He had never seen himself as a father but he would become one for the woman he loved.


	8. Memories Bring Pain

Elena sat at the big wooden table in the boarding house. The same place she sat when she denied Damon. She was both frustrated and tired. She had decided when Stefan had proposed, that was her new start. She was going to come to grips with the idea she would never know who she was before the towers collapsed. It was a simple decision until _he_ came along. Now she sat with remnants of burgers and the wrappers that had once encased them. They were all good and she couldn't believe she had went so long without eating meat but the thing that was tearing her insides apart was that first burger. She couldn't find any burger that she liked as much and Damon had made it for her. She was forced to question what else he knew about her. For the first time in months Elena allowed herself to question who she was before the memory loss. It led her down the dark metaphorical tunnel she had grown to hate. It was almost physically painful to be told all these things about herself that she could not remember. She learned of the pain when she first had tried remembering, when being called Katherine. Stefan would tell her story after story and show her picture after picture. They were all stories and memories that she was not attached to. Situations and tales that had no effect on her. That is until Damon and his hamburger came along. Still the idea of going through all that again was slightly terrifying.

"Elena?"

The voice that belonged to her fiancé floated through the spacious rooms. She swiftly stood up as if she was going to try and clean up the evidence. There was far too much and the remaining burgers were far to scattered across the table. She watched as Stefan entered the room and gave her a loving smile. As soon as his eyes glanced at the table the grin quickly disappeared.

"I didn't realize once you got a taste you would go so out of control. What are you doing?"

She knew Stefan wouldn't handle the truth well and she searched the room for an escape. Then she realized that Stefan carried a manila folder that was bursting with papers. He was a very important man but he rarely if ever brought work home with him.

"What's in your hand?"

Stefan looked almost sheepish as he pulled up the folder and placed it on the oak table.

"I was talking to our lawyer today. He helped me get some paper work in order."

"What are they for?"

Still Stefan couldn't actually make eye contact with her. Like he had done something that he wasn't sure she would approve of.

"It's something I think we should sit down and discuss. We've been talk because I wanted to check and make sure everything was clear for the wedding. My lawyer says because you were pronounced dead after the tower collapsed your marriage with Damon has already been dissolved legally. So we don't have to wait for all that paperwork to go through. Then while I was there we discussed the steps we would need to take to get full custody of the kids, after were married of course."

"You mean take them away from Damon?"

She had to make sure she was hearing him correctly. She had seen the love Damon had for those kids and if she was being honest she had seen the love he had for her. It had been underlying at the party before anybody had found out the hospital mix up and the mistaken identity. Elena heard of the deep love Damon held for his dead wife during a trip to the grocery store, when she overheard two of the sales clerks gossiping. Then she had seen the pain when she told Damon she was not choosing him. Elena knew her decision was selfish and cruel to the husband she no longer knew but she had to make the decision for those she knew now. It was a decision made out of respect for the people who she did know. Stefan and Elena had fallen in love while she had tried to create a life from scratch. She owed Stefan, but that didn't mean she wanted to purposefully hurt Damon.

"I saw that look in your eyes Elena, you want those kids. You deserve the chance to raise your kids. I mean lets be honest we can provide them with stuff that he never could. I know that you want this."

A fire burned in her stomach. It had happened before in discussion she had with Stefan. Often she would quench her feeling of anger that rose in her like an unwanted poison but she couldn't tonight. The words flowed from her mouth before they even registered.

"You have no idea what I want. Those kids deserve the best and that's not dragging them away to live with two strangers. So don't pretend like you know me. I don't even know me."

Stefan took a step back obviously surprised by her sudden outburst. The fear of not knowing who she was had always been there. The recent events had led the fear to take a permanent residency in her heart and it would eventually spread like an incurable cancer through her blood stream. Still, Elena knew that she wasn't being completely fair. Stefan did know her, or whoever she was now.

"Just think about it ok. I get that it's been a rough couple days."

They both knew this was just the beginning.

* * *

Damon pulled up to the address that Rose had given him earlier over the phone. He wondered for a moment as he looked at the apartment building whether he should call in a rain check. This was their first date that Damon had planned. Damon had a respect for Rose and that's why he almost felt guilty. It wasn't fair to her to go on a date as if to say he was emotionally available. He had never cared about others feelings before, except for Elena's. Then he had kids and somehow they had softened his heart. Still he had called Rose and invited her on a date even though he knew that it wouldn't ever go anywhere. There would only ever be one girl that could ever make him commit. There would only ever be one girl that made him attempt all that romantic stuff.

* * *

_Damon pulled up to one of his favorite places, it was the home to his favorite girl. He parked and quickly jumped out of his car. This was not the first time he had come and if he had anything to say it would most certainly not be his last. This time was different; he could feel it in the air. It was his first date with Elena. Well, the first official date that he hadn't tricked her into. As he made his way towards the door he looked down at the dozen lilies he held in his hand. Damon had to make sure he did everything, even the cheesy romantic gestures. Just in case she realized at the end of the night that he was no good for her. At least then she would always remember how she should be treated while she waited for Mr. Perfect._

_For the first time, ever, he knocked on her door instead of just walking straight in. The first few times he had come to her house he had been with Elena, so there was no reason to knock. Then the idea had become just strange, the idea of knocking. It was the Gilbert house, his second family. Most days he loved them more then his first. _

_It took less then a minute for the door to open._

_"Damon, since when do you knock?"_

_There in front of Damon stood Grayson Gilbert, the father of Elena Gilbert. The man was kind and gracious to Damon, nothing like his own father. He also was adored and loved by Elena and even though Damon would deny it he had found a place in his heart as well._

_"Well, sir I'm told this is the respectful thing to do for a date."_

_"Don't call me sir I sound old. Come on in, Elena will be down in a minute, besides if were being traditional this is where I get to interrogate you."_

_Damon let out a low chuckle as he entered the house and walked into the living room. The man tried his best to be intimidating and Damon respected him for that._

_"I promise to have her home by twelve and I promise not to try any funny business. Can I skip the interrogation now?" _

_It was Grayson's turn to chuckle and they both sat down on the couch waiting for Elena. Before Grayson could respond Damon's phone buzzed in his pocket. Quickly pulling it out and realizing it was his father he made a quick motion before standing and disappearing into the hallway._

_"Dad, whatever I did this time can it please wait till I get home. I told you I was busy tonight."_

_He had given up trying to please that man a long time ago._

_"Damon, it's your mother. You need to come to the hospital."_

_"What happened?"_

_"She had a heart attack. They are prepping her for surgery."_

_Damon didn't need to hear anything else before he swiftly hung up his phone. His mind began to race and he tried to focus. Elena then entered and kept his mind from clearing for a whole new reason._

_"Damon, are you ok?"_

_Of course Elena could instantly tell that he was under distress. She always could read him better then anybody else._

_"My mom she had a heart attack. I'm really sorry Elena I have to go."_

_Elena simply nodded and continued to put the jacket on that she had previously been holding._

_"What are you doing?"_

_"I'm going to the hospital with you."_

_"No your not"_

_"Yes I am."_

_"You have better things to do then spend your evening in a hospital."_

_"You are just saying that because you hate being vulnerable."_

_Then Elena walked out and headed towards his car leaving no room for debate. In his walk outside he dropped the flowers on the ground where they would be left to wither away, along with the rest of his plans of romantic gestures._

_The couple drove to the hospital in silence. Once they stepped out of the car Damon felt Elena slowly lace her fingers with his. The gesture was simple but appreciated. In silence he knew what it meant. They would make it through this, together._

* * *

Flashes of his first date with Elena shot through his mind. The same night his mother had passed away. His plans to take Elena to this very restaurant had been ruined. The past he shared with Elena was filled with a lot of death and sadness. They were no strangers to the loss of loved ones. It was those times that had made them so strong. Since there very first date they had to learn the art of vulnerability and comfort. It would always be what had bonded their very souls.

"I have to admit, I didn't expect your phone call."

Rose spoke over her menu and pulled Damon from his thoughts. She was a beautiful woman and had mastered the language of sarcasm. If Elena didn't exist, he could really see himself falling for her.

"I would be a fool not to."

Damon gave her the smirk that said a million things while banishing his previous thoughts from his head. Elena had made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing to do with him.


	9. Soccer and Something InBetween

Both Caroline and Elena stepped across the field and sat on the small bleachers. During her conversation with Ty, he had told her about the big game on Saturday. She had meant to ask Damon if it was ok she come but he had effectively been avoiding her the past week. It was strange because she had thought the night at his house had gone better then expected.

"Is that him?"

Elena turned her attention to where Caroline was focused. Then she saw him, Damon walked towards them with the sun glistening off his brown locks and defined bone structure. Little Sophie was slowly following behind him only to stop every few moments to pick a dandelion out of the ground.

"Yeah, that's Damon."

"Well we know you had good taste."

In that moment Damon's eyes found hers. She quickly pulled her eyes away and looked back at Caroline.

"Umm, yeah"

It didn't take long before she felt a presence sit down beside her. She didn't need to turn to know that it was Damon. She looked anyway. Sophie had planted herself in his lap as they whispered to each other. For a moment it was as if she was intruding on some sacred moment between father and daughter. Elena however had a feeling that it was not an uncommon experience for the two. She wondered if Stefan would ever appear like that with their children. Before now she didn't realize she even wanted children.

"Hi"

Sophie waving to both Caroline and Elena pulled Elena from her self-reflection.

"Hi Sweetie"

"Hi you must be Sophie, I'm Caroline."

Sophie responded with a sweet smile before handing her handful of dandelions to Damon and skipping down the bleachers. Elena kept her eyes focused on the young girl until she reached the small playground on the other side of the field. Only then did she realize the tension that had settled between the three adults.

"Which one is Ty?"

It was a feeble attempt made from Elena to make the uncomfortable situation relax. All the boys were currently huddled in a group around their coach. You could only make out a few faces but mostly just their heads of hair and the numbers they sported on their green and white jerseys

"Number seven."

The voice came out stiff and laced with anger. Nothing like the smooth and confident way Damon had previously spoken at his house. She wondered what had happened between then and now. Her heart clenched at the idea of him being angry with her or discovering that she wasn't good enough to be a part of his children's lives, their children's lives. It surprised even her how much that idea pained her.

The huddle of the kids soon broke and they ran onto the field. Ty ran out into the position of center forward. He looked so determined and full of life. For a moment as he stood waiting for them to start she noticed how he carried himself like Damon. He stood with confidence and a seven-year-old version of the smirk that often graced Damon's face. It made Elena curious, what characteristics he carried that were hers.

"I didn't know you were coming to the game."

Damon's voice was still stiff and he held his eyes on the field but at least he acknowledged her.

"I meant to tell you but I haven't seen you since dinner the other night. I figured it would be ok. I didn't even know if you would be here."

He finally looked at Elena instead of the field and she prayed desperately he would look away again. The rage was evident and she was sure it could easily make her succumb to tears.

"I just meant because I heard you were a lawyer. I know Stefan couldn't make it because of his late hours."

Elena quickly tried to back pedal out of the hole she had unknowingly dug herself.

"Yeah well I'm not Stefan."

Damon bit out and Elena inwardly cringed.

"Your right. I didn't mean. Damon you are a great father."

As Elena stammered the look of anger began to vanish from Damon's face. He ended up just looking so tired. For a moment it appeared that the exhausted Damon was going to say something and then instead he stood up and walked down the bleachers and towards the parking lot.

"Well at least you are making an upgrade with Stefan."

Elena knew that Caroline was giving him an unfair assessment. Anybody with half a brain could understand that Damon had a stressful couple of weeks. Elena was so deep in thought she didn't see little Sophie jump off the swing and run towards her dad.

* * *

Damon felt like he couldn't breathe anymore. He didn't think he could feel worse than that day he found out Elena had died. Then he found out she was alive and didn't just forget who he was, it appeared she refused to remember. The taste of food was no longer there and it was quite near impossible to sleep at night.

Then he talked to Alaric and his whole world came crashing down around him. Stefan had gone to Alaric, another lawyer in town and Damon's best friend, and he found out Stefan had asked him for legal advice. Specifically legal advice about getting full custody of some kids, it was obvious to Alaric the kids were Sophie and Ty. The very idea they would try for full custody was near crazy. The statistics showed that courts often sided with the mother but not when she had full grade amnesia and was marrying a man that neither child liked nor knew. He would take them to court and annihilate them. He had to. He had already lost too much.

"Daddy"

He couldn't lose that little girl too. Out of habit Damon squatted and let Sophie come and stand between his legs. For a moment he closed his eyes when she placed her hand gently on his cheek.

"Are you sad Daddy?"

"Not now that you're here lady bug."

The smile came off fake, but it was all he could manage for the time being.

"Are we going home?"

Damon shook his head while he pulled out his hand and stroked it through her dark brown locks. The little girl got hair like her mother, beautiful. With a simple slide of his hand he remembered all the times he had weaved his hands in Elena's hair.

"Oh thank goodness, I was so worried you walked off."

Both Damon and Sophie looked up to the source of the voice. Elena stood before them panting and obviously frazzled from the hunt of the little girl.

"I was with my dad"

Sophie responded as if the answer was obvious because she didn't understand. She had no reason to understand. She didn't understand the concern of a parent when their child goes MIA. Even if she did she wouldn't know why Elena had suddenly felt the responsibility of these concerns.

Damon slowly stood and subconsciously inched his way closer to Elena. His eyes cautiously watched her face and then noticed the people standing at the bleachers behind her. Bonnie and Jeremy had officially arrived to their nephew's soccer game. They always tried to attend as many as they could. On one occasion Alaric and Jenna had also come with their two girls who had made signs for Ty. You would have thought Ty was playing for the championship soccer game and not a soccer game made of seven-year-old kids. Where at the end of the season even the worst team got participation trophies. They had become one of those almost sickly close families, with the Sunday family dinners and everything.

"Soph go say hi to Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Bonnie."

The moment Damon mentioned them, Sophie's eyes shot to the bleachers and she made a dash towards them. They had a second parent relationship with Sophie and Ty mainly due to the fact Bonnie or Jenna were the ones to watch them when Damon had to be in court. Court was one thing he could not do with Ty and Sophie tagging along.

He was blessed to work for a small law firm that allowed him to do most of his work at home. More then one client had met Sophie or Ty when they would walk in his home office during a meeting. It was the one thing he told ever client before taking on their caseload, his kids came first.

Damon watched as Elena was about to walk back to the bleachers herself but he put his hand out to stop her.

"You can't pull all this crap and think I'll take it because it is you who is dealing it."

"Look Damon you need to understand, I love Stefan"

"And you need to understand I won't let him raise my kids." It was the first time when talking to her about the kids that he referred to them as his and not theirs. He had to get his point across. She could choose to forget her life but she couldn't pick and choose what pieces she wanted to remember.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the full custody you had Stefan get papers for. Elena you may not remember but I'm a lawyer and a good one to boot."

Damon had officially lost his cool and he had raised his voice and inched even closer to the girl who drove him near insanity. The advancement made Elena falter. This was not the Elena he was used to. Their relationship had been full of heated and passionate debates. If they hadn't loved each other so much it was certain they would have killed each other by their second year of marriage. They were just both so stubborn.

"I didn't. How did you even hear about that?"

"It's a small town Elena. Did you really think you could just swoop in and take my kids from me without me saying anything?"

That seemed to set something off in her and he watched spark ignite behind her eye, that spark he had learned to both love and hate.

"I said no Damon. I told him I didn't want to do that to you. You know for a second I even felt bad for what I was doing to you. Now I realize you're just an arrogant man who needs to grow up."

"I was wondering when the real Elena would show her colors. I didn't know a girl could lose herself so easily."

Damon seethed but he instantly regretted it as he watched Elena's face fall. He had crossed that invisible line where he had actually wounded her. It happened often and when they had been married it would take him an hour or two of groveling but this was different. He wondered if he could recover from the blow of bringing up the girl she couldn't remember. Out of pure instinct Damon covered the remaining space between the two and pulled in his arms as a tear fell down her face.

"How could I lose something that I don't know I had? I have no idea who I am."

Elena whispered in his ear and for a split second he relished in the fact that she still fit so comfortably in his arms. Then he pulled away just enough to look in her big eyes and place his hand comfortingly on her cheek.

"You know who you are. The problem is you don't remember who you once were but I promise she's in there, she's just currently hiding."

It took a moment for realization to register on Elena's face and quickly she stepped away from the comforting embrace. Damon could only hope that she would let him hold her again one day soon. He had forgotten how much he loved the feel of her very heart beating against him.

"Will you tell me about her."

Under observation Damon watched Elena keep her eyes focused on the ground. After their embrace she couldn't even look at him but she was asking for his help. It wasn't even really a question. She may not know but she still held a large portion of Damon's heart.

"You are getting married in two weeks."

It wasn't meant as him saying no, just merely as a statement and an observation.

"It's not fair to marry a man when he doesn't know who he's marrying. I need to know who I once was so that I can move on."

Her voice had returned to being steady and determined. Damon knew that he would say yes but he also knew that he couldn't make it easy. He couldn't let her marry a man before he attempted everything in his power to help her remember, actually remember.

"Under one condition. For the next seven-days you live at our house with the kids and I. If you can do that I promise to give you all the information you want about your life before the accident."


	10. The Move

"Elena this is ridiculous. He is obviously still in love with you."

Elena knocked on the door as she rolled her eyes. Stefan had not stopped since she had started packing her bag. It was only a week and she wished that he would understand her need for this. Going about and having no idea who she was, was beginning to eat away at her. It had seemed so black and white when she had made the decision to not try and remember. Then Damon happened. He introduced her to these two humans that were part her and had introduced her to the hamburger. Such a simple thing but it had sent her mind in a downward spiral of confusion.

"Hello"

Sophie stood staring at Elena behind the now open door. She wore pink pants and a matching pink shirt that had a print of a number of classic Disney princesses. Her hair that reached her shoulders was wet; obviously she had just finished her bath.

"Come on in Elena" Damon stated as Elena saw the man approach the door "and Stefan" he added after he obviously spotted Stefan standing behind her with dark eyes and a deep frown.

Elena lifted her bag, which Damon quickly took, and entered the house. Stefan grudgingly followed inside the door and she wished he had just stayed home. It wasn't her saying that she didn't love Stefan anymore. This wasn't about Damon or Stefan or even the kids, this was something she had to do for herself. It was her way to cure the ultimate identity crisis.

"I'll show you where you are going to sleep."

Damon stated slightly easing the awkward tension that had settled in among them and motioned for them to follow him. Stefan grumbled something under his breath and Sophie ran to her dad trying to grab the bag from his hand. Giving a smirk to the little girl he released the bag and watched for a moment as Sophie tried to pick it up. Her little face scrunched up but the bag didn't budge. Damon let out a low chuckle and continued his way towards the stairs. Before they made it to the top of the stairs a whiny voice reached them.

"Daddy"

Damon quickly jogged down the stairs with that smirk on his face and picked the bag off the floor. Only moments after and he was back at the top of the stairs, bag in hand. His patience was very admirable. She supposed it was something you must learn with young children.

As they walked down he pointed out Sophie's room, Ty's room, and the bathroom that the kids shared. He then led them to the back of the hall and opened the door. Elena entered a beautiful room with a four post large black wooden bed, covered in a simple white comforter and different size black and white pillows. She gazed around the room and noticed the matching black dressers. Her eyes then finally fell on the only two photos that hung on the wall. One was of a family of four and the other a photo of a couple dressed in wedding formal and staring at one another lovingly. Under further examination she noticed the man in both pictures was a young looking Damon and the woman was a young Elena. It made sense but it still made her catch her breath. It was such a simple reminder she really didn't remember a big part of her life.

"Then this is where you'll be staying"

Elena stared at Damon for a couple minutes after he gave the newest revelation.

"This is your room."

"I'll be sleeping on the couch. Until I get a chance to place Sophie in Ty's room and then I'll set up a bed in there."

"I don't mean to cause so much trouble."

Damon leaned in close to her so she could feel his breath against her cheek and spoke softly.

"Don't worry it's not the first time you forced me to sleep on the couch."

The statement somehow caused for Elena to turn a light shade of pink. It somehow made the knowledge they had at one point been married like a normal couple with normal plans to raise some kids together. She was about to respond when she heard Stefan again grumble something under his breath. It pulled both Elena and Damon from their little bubble of communication that they had unknowingly formed. It was then a stand off between the two men until Damon finally spoke, not removing his eyes from Stefan.

"Speaking of hissy fits I need to go and make sure Ty finished his shower and is getting ready for bed. You can go ahead and make yourselves at home downstairs for a few minutes."

Damon made a silent exit giving Elena a chance to shoot Stefan a light glare before making her way downstairs. Stefan was in no way making this easier for anybody.

* * *

_Damon laughed after Elena had thrown the door shut in his face. She was overreacting and the whole situation was quite humorous. He opened the door and walked in their newly bought house. There were still tarps and buckets of paint scattered around from their freshly painted living room._

_"Elena come on we both know I was helping him out."_

_Damon held back his laughter as he followed a stomping Elena up the stairs. She had been giving him the silent treatment for the ride home from the grill. He was just waiting for her to express her thoughts on his actions. It had been a simple comment but Damon had seen Elena's reaction and he knew instantly he was in the proverbial doghouse. The fact that Jeremy was crushing on Bonnie was obvious because he acted like a little lovesick puppy whenever she was around. The whole situation was filled with walking clichés. So when Bonnie had entered the grill and approached Damon, Elena, and Jeremy it just became to easy. He thought he was helping the poor kid out. In all honesty he liked the guy but he would deny it if anybody asked. Elena finally decided to talk when he followed her into their bedroom._

_"Damon you totally embarrassed them."_

_She admonished as she opened the bottom drawer of their tall black dresser._

_"They were fine. You were the one who always says they just need to get over themselves and realize how good they would be for each other."_

_Elena looked up and glared as she yanked out the big blanket they had packed away for the upcoming cold winter nights._

_"Your comments were not helping that and you know Bonnie just started to like you."_

_She responded as she pulled out his sweats and grabbed his pillow from the bed and then shoved all the contents from her hands to his. It was true that Bonnie and Damon had recently reached an understanding. It had started as a mutual love for Elena but like Jeremy he had caught himself actually enjoying her company during recent events._

_"O come on Elena, don't you think your overreacting. Come on lets just get in bed."_

_"You are sleeping on the couch."_

_"Because I made a couple comments to Bonnie?"_

_"No, because your annoying me."_

_As if that was a legit answer Elena entered the bathroom that was connected to their room with her t-shirt and shorts in hand. Damon sighed and made his way downstairs, quickly made a makeshift bed on their new coach and quickly removed his shirt and changed into sweats._

_For what felt like an hour Damon turned left and right, fluffed and refluffed his pillow, in attempts to find a comfortable position to sleep. Just as he was about to give up all hope of sleeping that night, he heard soft shuffling coming from the stairs. With a quiet smirk, he silently lifted up the blanket that covered him and watched as Elena crawled underneath and then curled into his chest._

_"I'm still mad at you."_

_"I know"_

_In a matter of minutes both Elena and Damon drifted off into a comfortable sleep._

* * *

Damon sat uncomfortable on the love seat with Rose and watched Elena and Stefan sit beside one another on the coach. The silence they currently sat in had been the current atmosphere for the last few minutes. When planning to win back Elena he hadn't worked out what to do if Stefan stayed at the house. Stefan was supposed to do his moping on his own time at his own house and Rose was definitely not supposed to show up.

Moments after he had come downstairs from finally getting Sophie to bed the doorbell had rung. He had been so caught up in the deal he made with Elena that he had forgotten he had planned a date with Rose. She had showed up wondering if everything was ok because he hadn't come to pick her up. Now his living room had Stefan who occasionally held Elena's hand or wrapped his arm around her back to show whom Elena was with and Rose who occasionally asked questions trying to ease the tension. Damon rolled his eyes because this wasn't awkward at all. Note sarcasm.

"Can I talk to you Damon?"

Rose stood and motioned towards the kitchen. Damon nodded to the remaining couple and then stood to follow. The moment they both entered the kitchen he knew that this was not a conversations he was actually going to like.

"I thought it had just been a small town rumor, the fact you were in love with Stefan's fiancé."

She obviously cut right to the point and it left Damon with a tinge of guilt. She was a good girl and she probably did not deserve to be led on like she had been. He had just been so tired of always receiving the bad end of some deal he didn't realize he had agreed to be a part of. Elena was always meant to be his.

"Look, Elena and I"

Rose placed her hand in the air in a motion to show that she didn't want him to continue. She fiddled with her fingers as she spoke next.

"Everyone knows that you were still in love with your dead wife. I just thought for a moment that maybe I could fight a ghost for your affection but now it turns out that she's not actually dead. I know I can't compete with that. I shouldn't have to."

"Elena and Stefan are getting married"

"You and I both know that doesn't stop you from loving her. I'm going to respectfully bow out while my pride is still in tact at least until you get this figured out." There were tears in her eyes as Damon watched her walk out the kitchen and he eventually heard the front door close. He got lost in thought and didn't hear the front door then open and close a second time.

"It appears we both officially suck at relationships."

It was Elena who pulled him from his thoughts and soon he forgot all about Rose when he saw her standing in the doorway leading to the kitchen.

"I haven't done the whole dating thing in a long time but I'm pretty sure that was just a break up."

Elena silently sat at the bar stool and smiled at him. It was her face whenever she felt guilty. Like it had been her that broke up the couple. He guessed in a round about way it was.

"Are you hungry? I can make you an omelet."

Damon didn't wait for a response and began pulling out the ingredients to make her one. It was his default setting. He had always enjoyed cooking and it gave him something to do with his hands.

"Were you always the cook or did I use to do that?"

Damon looked at Elena for a moment and smirked. She had gone through a stage where she had wanted to cook. Her food always ended up too salty or too dry or she just ended up too discouraged. She set off the fire alarm in their house at least five times.

"It was always the safer option for me to do the cooking. Don't worry you could dial a mean take out number"

Elena scowled at the answer and Damon swiftly laughed while motioning her to come around to his side of the counter. She stood beside him as he beat the two freshly cracked eggs into a small bowl. He then quickly turned and lifted the skillet onto the stove before turning on the heat. Ten minutes later and they had a semi decent looking omelet laying on a plate but it didn't really matter because Elena was laughing. They had fallen into a comfortable balance between banter and silence and Elena stood close enough that Damon could smell her shampoo. None of the problems had been solved but in the moment everything seemed rather simple and Damon was reminded why he could never move on. He wanted nothing more then to sit her on the counter and kiss her deeply and passionately but it wasn't the right time. He then was caught staring and Elena quickly stepped back and gave a soft cough.

"I should go to bed."

She swiftly exited the room and rushed up the stairs. Leaving an uneaten omelet and a frustrated Damon in her wake.


	11. Meeting the Family

Elena opened the door of the white cabinet above the dishwasher, finally coming across a stack of cups. It had barely hit 6:30 and she was hardly awake. She slept lightly and had woken from floorboards creaking out in the hall at 5. It usually only took her moments before she was again consumed by her dreams, but not today. Her eyes had landed on the hanging pictures in the room that she currently slept and they caused havoc to her thoughts. Soon she realized there was no chance that she would get back to sleep and she tried to move with stealth down the hall. Before she made it to the stairs she noticed that Sophie's door had been cracked open and as a result Elena fell to temptation and peaked through the hole. The image was still burned in her brain as she turned on the faucet and poured herself a glass of water. It was a single bed with a pink princess Aurora comforter, Elena was beginning to sense a theme. Underneath the comforter laid a sleeping Sophie but it was what lay above the covers that surprised her. It was Damon slouching against the wall in sweat pants and a t-shirt. She couldn't imagine he was comfortable but there he had lain with his head down and his eyes closed. The scene had made her smile and for a moment her heart skipped a beat. As she drank her water she tried to convince herself it was because of the tiny little brunette who lay curled under the covers and not the passionate man beside her.

No matter why her heart skipped, she knew that if she ever wanted a relationship with those kids then she would need a functioning relationship with Damon. The obvious bond between the kids and him was rare and beautiful. She was used to New York where kids had a nanny and were controlled by leashes. Sometimes she wondered if they were more of an accessory then a living human being. Damon was different, he loved those kids and according to his response at the soccer game he was also fiercely protective. So she had to be more careful. The night before she had gotten lost in the moment and for a second she could have sworn that Damon was going to kiss her. For a moment she had wanted Damon to kiss her. That couldn't happen because she was engaged and she wanted to be a part of her kids lives.

She hadn't even realized how desperately she wanted that. It was obvious from last night that she could easily get lost in Damon. He was almost sinfully handsome and so incredibly passionate. So she had to be more careful. Stefan deserved that much from her. He had brought her back to life in a sense after the tragic events that had left her depressingly scared. She wouldn't let herself admit the obvious fact that Damon would have been there too. In the recesses of her mind she could picture her lying under the covers and Damon sitting protectively by her side instead of Sophie's. That wasn't how it had played out though and she had fallen in love with another man.

So she had to be more careful. She could not risk hurting Damon more then she already had. If for no other reason than the possibility of him deciding he had enough and taking away any chance of Elena getting to know Sophie and Ty. If she could only remember and then she would realize she had already left him broken, possibly beyond repair.

"You are up early."

Elena looked up and saw Damon standing in front of her. The effort was great on Elena's part not to visibly scan her eyes up and down his body. He had obviously changed into jeans and a black t-shirt. Under further examination she realized his hair was wet. The man was undeniably very attractive.

"I couldn't sleep. I hope I didn't wake you."

Damon laughed.

"I usually get up at this time. It gives me a chance to get some work done while the house is still quiet."

An almost uncomfortable silence fell between the two housemates and

Elena debated whether she should apologize for running off last night.

It had been rather ungrateful of her to leave the food he had prepared for her. Before she could form a sentence, Damon spoke again.

"We have our weekly Sunday family dinner tonight. We are hosting it this week. It may be a good chance to talk with your brother."

Damon froze for a moment as if giving her a chance to realize how cruel she had been. She knew very little about the family she had left behind. Elena knew that she had a brother and caught a quick glance of him and whom she assumed was his wife before leaving the soccer game.

She had found herself wanting to go and talk with him but something always kept her away. It was her fear that she wouldn't like what she found or maybe that she would like it too much. The idea that she had left people to mourn her loss felt cruel, even if at first it had been unintentional. For a moment she wanted to be angry with Damon for thinking it didn't affect her but then she saw the look in his eyes.

He showed no malice or hate but it was a questioning look and maybe even sad. Elena realized her brother and Damon probably shared a lot of the same pain and that made her heart hurt.

"That wasn't actually my point for bringing it up. The kids and I are going to pick up a few things at the store. You can come with or stay here. I have to be honest and let you know that they can be a handful in a store. So I won't blame you if you want to stay back."

"I can stay here with them if it would be easier. Then you can be in and out."

The words came out of Elena's mouth before she even realized what she was saying. Once the idea had been given she had no intention of taking them back. As long as she kept Sire Squiggles in the blue chair and not the orange she didn't see what could go wrong. Damon seemed hesitant for a moment but he finally nodded his head.

"Fine, as long as they are ok with it."

As if on cue little Sophie came walking down the stairs, in the same outfit she had been wearing the night before but now her hair instead of being nicely brushed was a big mess of tangles. Elena watched as she didn't say a single word but went straight for her father. Damon easily appeased her by picking her up and holding her in his arms.

Sophie placed her head down on his shoulder and gazed at Elena but said nothing. Elena was thankful she had decided to change earlier instead of walking down to the kitchen in her pajama bottoms and t-shirt.

"Ladybug you're up early."

"You said Chloe and Cora are coming."

Damon laughed in response and looked at the tired child against his shoulder.

"Yeah, tonight for dinner"

"I wanted to play dress up."

"I bet Miss Elena here would love to play dress up."

For a moment Elena wondered what it was like to be called 'mom' instead of 'Miss Elena'. She knew they would eventually have to tell the kids but it wasn't an easy topic to broach. Your mom didn't actually die but she doesn't actually remember you and she isn't going to be married to your dad anymore. Sometimes it was confusing to her, the idea of explaining it to a seven year old and almost five year old was daunting.

"Where are you going?"

"To the grocery store and Miss Elena offered to watch you till I get back."

Sophie directed her gaze back to Elena and got a very serious look on her face.

"You can be the Queen and I'll be the princess."

Before Elena had a chance to respond, Sophie wiggled out of her father's arms and began dragging Elena into the living room. For the next thirty minutes Elena was thrown into the world of make believe and play pretend. They were interrupted only once by Damon brushing Sophie's hair and going over a few things with Elena before he left for the store. The simplicity of it all was rather beautiful. Elena and Sophie had just started coloring at the kitchen table when Ty had finally made his way downstairs.

"Hey Ty, your dad went to the store but I'm here if you need anything."

Elena wondered if he had even heard her because he remained silent as he climbed the counter and eventually pulled a bowl out.

"I can get that if you need Ty. I bet your dad doesn't like you climbing on the counters."

His response was an eye roll as he continued to get himself milk and a box of cereal for breakfast. Elena was at a loss because this was not the little boy she had met at the dinner who couldn't stop talking about soccer.

"Aunt Bonnie says he doesn't listen because he misses mom."

Sophie stated as she continued to color. It was obvious the little girl was repeating a conversation that wasn't meant for her ears. She didn't even realize she was stating something that made Elena lose her entire carefree mood she held moments ago.

"Don't talk about her Sophie"

Ty had finally come awake and was fully responsive to his sister's side comment. Sophie looked up with big tears beginning to well up in her eyes. Of course at that moment the door opened and Damon walked in carrying a bag of groceries.

"Daddy"

At the sight of her dad the tears were unleashed and Sophie rushed to Damon's legs to be comforted. Damon silently placed down the contents in his arms to allow room for Sophie. She swiftly filled the space and pressed her face into his shoulder. As he rubbed his hand across her back Damon looked between Elena and Ty.

"What happened?"

Elena was about to respond but Ty spoke first through gritted teeth.

"Nothing, Sophie is just being a big baby."

With that Ty made a grand exit and disappeared upstairs in anger.

Damon placed Sophie back on the ground while wiping away a few of her tears and promising his return. He then followed his son's path and walked up the stairs. Elena could hear the heated voices from the kitchen and sat helplessly watching Sophie continue to sniffle.

Finally she decided she would try her best to comfort the girl. The fact Sophie and Elena had two encounters and both times Sophie had ended up in tears didn't give her much confidence.

"Do you want to color some more?"

Sophie shook her head yes but continued to stand there with big eyes filled with sadness.

"Ty doesn't like when we talk about mommy."

Elena knew that she probably shouldn't ask but the question slipped out before she could stop it.

"Why doesn't he like that?"

Sophie shrugged her shoulders and resumed coloring the paper she had abandoned. Leaving a very discouraged Elena to get lost in her thoughts. The house eventually seemed to fall back into normalcy. Damon disappeared into his home office but left the door open and even Ty came downstairs. Although it was still very evident that Elena was no longer his friend and he spent most of his time in his dad's office playing video games on the floor. If it were not for Sophie, Elena would feel somewhat out of place. Sophie kept Elena busy enough however that she was not left to fall down the steep slope that had begun to form in her mind with all this new found information she had learned about her family. It wasn't until Sophie decided they were going to watch a movie that her mind started to process the new information. She continued to realize what a mess she was in when Damon came out and Sophie ran to help him in the kitchen. She was analyzing every picture, piece of furniture, and every time the people in the house laughed out loud. She found a whole new kind of pain. During her time in New York she had never found herself so desperately wanting to remember, to be a part of her life again. With Stefan and Caroline and her life in New York she often found herself regretting who she had once been. Now it seemed she was regretting who she had become.

There was no more time for self-pity when the doorbell rang at 6 and all chaos came with it.

Elena stood behind Damon as he opened up the door. She watched as a man, with sandy blonde hair and a little bundled up baby in his arm, walked in followed by a woman, with loose curls encasing her face and a young girl racing in beside her. In a matter of seconds the fairly quiet house became loud and full of obvious affection. Elena stood silently as she watched Damon greet the man and woman, 'Jenna' and 'Alaric'. The little girl who Damon called 'Chloe' quickly gave him a hug and asked where Sophie was. As she scampered off towards the kitchen, attention was brought to Elena who stood awkwardly by the wall as she pulled three of her fingers through her other hand.

"It really is you."

'Jenna' spoke as she looked at Elena and immediately rushed towards her and wrapped her arms around Elena. Elena went stiff and 'Jenna' released her as quickly as she had hugged her.

"I'm sorry, it's just been so long and" tears began to form in 'Jenna's' eyes. "I've just missed you."

"Elena will you help me in the kitchen."

Damon asked as he began to walk towards the kitchen, obviously sensing the tension that had escaladed in the room. She slowly followed him but the moment she entered the kitchen, the tears that had been building up finally began to fall. Damon was checking on some food in the oven so he didn't see at first. Then he turned around about to say something and she recognized the change in his expression. Elena watched as he instantly stepped into action and walked towards her. He went to cup her face in his hands but stopped before he actually did. The love and concern in his face just made her cry harder.

"Hey, hey no tears allowed on family night."

When there was a short silence, aside from Elena's sniffles, Damon continued.

"Jenna, your aunt, she just missed you. She was one of your best friends, the one you would go to when you didn't feel comfortable going to your mom. The last thing she would want to do is make you cry."

"I just want to remember"

The words came out with a gargle because of the tears. Damon swiftly put his hand on her arms, looking her straight in the eye.

"I know, baby, I wish that you could remember too but let's just face a day at a time. Let's just enjoy tonight. If it gets to be to much you can go ok."

Elena nodded and was quickly wrapped in Damon's arms. He kindly stroked her hair as she cried into his chest. She finally regained composure and stepped back from Damon's embrace.

The night progressed and for the most part Damon had been right and Elena had enjoyed herself. She enjoyed watching the love between her brother and Bonnie. Damon sat beside Elena and was constantly making comments in her ear about the scenes unfolding in front of them. It kept her laughing. The kids were loud and happy and it made the environment far more comfortable. It had beautifully become this crazy impossibly scene of a family that Elena was blessed to be a part of.

Then the whole night went wrong.

"We actually have a announcement."

Both Bonnie and Jeremy stood as the dinner was winding down. All eyes went to them as they silently debated who should share.

"We are pregnant."

They finally both said together.

It was those three words that sent Elena back to her own personal nightmare. The world from around her began to slowly blur out of focus. She no longer saw Damon patting Jeremy on the back and shaking his hand. She barely heard Sophie squeal when Bonnie had explained she was going to have another cousin. Her hand slowly landed on her stomach and she had to remind herself that she needed to breath.

The idea that she had two children and had no recollection of any of it, she didn't even have one memory. It was almost painful to think of all the pain she had caused this beautiful family, those beautiful kids. The pain that she was still causing them, it was just too much and so she stood and swiftly walked to the room at the end of the hall, before she had even realized it. Elena closed her eyes and put her head in her hand to she wouldn't see those pictures. It had been one official day with Damon and the kids and she was already unraveling. The door slowly opened and Elena assumed that it was Damon noticing her absent.

"Damon, I just need a minute"

"It's not Damon"

Elena swiftly looked up and saw Bonnie approaching her. It had been surprising how fast they had bonded over the meal. If she was one for cliché sayings she would have said they were kindred spirits. The type of friends who can pick up where ever they had last left off because in reality that's what they had done. Bonnie gently put a hand around Elena's shoulder for a gesture of comfort.

"Sorry I thought you were Damon."

"I may have forced Damon to let me talk to you first. Its one of the benefits of being pregnant."

They both laughed together and fell into a couple moments of comfortable silence.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to take away from your news. That's really exciting."

"You being here makes the news that much more exciting. I get to go through the drama of pregnancy with my best friend. Plus I get to put you through all the torture you put us through, twice."

"Was I really that bad?"

"You were just a bit hormonal. You definitely tested Damon and his patience but I learned long ago that you can do a lot and Damon would still worship the ground you walk on."

Elena allowed for that to sink in a moment.

"Do you think I am making the right choice? Marrying Stefan after everything?"

Bonnie didn't say anything but the silence said everything.

"Why can't I remember?"

Elena whispered more to herself then to Bonnie. Little did she know but her brain was already finding the routes to her old memories. It may just take a little bit more time.


	12. Dreams of Yesterday

_Damon woke up and tried to focus on where he was. His bedroom, the one that he shared with his beautiful wife. For a moment he tried to think of what had awoken him from his slumber. Then he heard the sound, the shallow breathing, and the gasping for air. No longer in the state between sleep and cognitive thought because Damon knew exactly what was going on. It had happened too many times before. Swiftly he reached over and gently shook Elena in hopes that he could rescue her before it got worse._

* * *

Damon sat up and fluffed his pillow in desperate hope that he would find sleep. His time with Elena was disappearing before his eyes and he still had not won her back. The seven days were not going as they were supposed to. That night Stefan and Caroline had even come over for dinner. The saddest part was that he witnessed Elena's interactions with his cousin and her friend. She put up a wall. Damon had known Elena for twenty years and he had never seen her so, broken. It had been three days since she moved in with him and he had seen her cry or on the verge of tears at least five times. Today had been the first day he had seen no sign of sadness or pure dismay. He had witnessed something far scarier. It was Elena and she was void of emotion. She played a woman with poise, elegance, and she was as beautiful as ever, but she wasn't his Elena. The passionate woman who could make him seething with anger and uncomfortable with desire all in one breathe.

It was as if Elena was scared to let her guard down around Stefan and Caroline. Damon wanted to shake her and make her realize that was what marriage was. You saw a person in all their forms, good, bad, and scary. If she couldn't share her true self with them in her time of greatest need, she would end up miserable. Damon would be able to let her go if she acted like herself, if he knew she could be unyieldingly happy with Stefan.

She couldn't be happier with Stefan then she had been with Damon. Their love was a once in your life type love. He was sure some might never experience it. That is what he told himself on the nights that he stared at the ceiling and begged for sleep to over take him because he couldn't imagine willingly giving Elena away to another man.

Finally, Damon had enough and rose from his bed. Quietly he walked across the hall to just sit in the room where his kids slept. They loved him more then they loved Stefan. They didn't even like Stefan. Damon smirked to himself thinking about the events that transpired during that evening.

Caroline had won Sophie over immediately with her designer clothes and well placed makeup. Stefan had been a far different story. Damon could still picture his Sophie glaring at Stefan when he reached over and grabbed Elena's hand at the dinner table. A moment later and Stefan was trying to ask Ty about his most recent soccer game. Ty still was barely civil to Elena but he had practically ignored Stefan with minimal answers and keeping his eyes on his food. His kids didn't like Stefan and the selfish part of Damon couldn't even talk to them about treating Stefan with respect.

Damon slowly opened the door and caught a glimpse of Ty and Sophie both asleep on their beds. He was just about to enter when he heard it, that shallow breathing.

* * *

_Elena smiled when she noticed her dad holding her mom's hand. She wondered if that would be her and Damon one day, holding hands during a car ride. She wondered if he would look at her with that same gaze. The one that told her he was completely in love with her. She was curious if she would always be Damon's sole reason for happiness, as he liked to remind Elena constantly. Selfishly she hoped this to be the case but on a deeper level she wanted something more for him. That is why when he showed an interest in becoming a lawyer; Elena made no complaints about the cost or the long hours. In case something happened to her and then he would still have a chance to be happy. Elena loved him too much to want anything less. It's what she tried to remind herself of when she responded to their canceled dinner plans. When she looked down to respond to the text message it wasn't a phone but her journal that lay in her lap. Open to the page that she had written on not to long ago, the morning of her wedding. It was strange, something was off._

_"That was Elena, apparently Damon had to cancel their dinner plans."_

_Shooting a look at her mother, Elena noticed that she was having an intimate conversation with her father. It was as if Elena wasn't in the car. As if they didn't actually know she was listening in on them speak about her._

_"Did she tell Damon how she feels?"_

_Her father was always the voice of reason._

_"I don't think she would have to. He can read her better then anyone."_

_Elena sat silently and listened to them speak; maybe they thought she was asleep._

_"He's trying to provide for her. I can understand that, I can really respect that."_

_Her father and Damon hadn't always seen eye to eye. She remembered when she first befriended Damon; her parents had decided it was time to have the talk. It was awkward and uncomfortable and she knew it was because of her most recent friendship. They had slowly been forced to accept Damon as her friend because of how often they were together. Somewhere along the line her father and Damon had formed a friendship as well. They would sit and joke about, well about her mostly. It didn't really matter she was just thankful they had formed that bond. Family had always been important to her._

_"I'm just afraid he's going to lose sight of what is important. Money isn't everything."_

_"Mom we are spending money not making it. It's just because he has a lot of school work on top of his job."_

_"He knows what is important. That boy has never seen anything but Elena and I really doubt he ever will."_

_Elena looked quizzically between her parents because they had never so blatantly ignored her. It was a strange experience and she couldn't say that she was a fan of it. So she tried to speak again but this time just a little louder._

_"I knew what I was agreeing to when we discussed him going to law school."_

_Still she was met with no response from either of her parents. Then it happened, this deep sick feeling formed in her stomach. Something awful was about to happen. She caught a glimpse of her journal and read the top line. _

_I have everything a girl could ask for._

_Then she noticed the words were beginning to smear. As if she had suddenly started crying but her eyes were dry. Still the journal in her hand continued to get wet until you could no longer read the words and everything became clear for Elena. This was all just a dream and a dream she had before._

_"Mom! Dad! Get out of the car!" _

_Elena frantically tried to get their attention. It was too late; she felt the car go into the air. There was a loud splash and she watched her dad's head hit the steering wheel and she heard her mom scream out in fear. It took seconds for the water to rush in her mom's open window. Elena tried frantically to pull at the door handle but it wouldn't move. She tried to push her parents into action but they did not respond. The carbon dioxide that was trapped in her lungs was beginning to burn with desire of release._

_"Elena"_

* * *

"Elena"

Damon called her name the moment he entered the room and saw her distress. It had occurred to him for a short time before that his presence might not be welcome but that was what made Damon and Elena so great. Damon had always been willing to make Elena angry. He wasn't afraid of her being angry with him, as long as she was ok. That is why he didn't think twice as he approached her and sat on the edge of the bed. He gently shook her shoulder and hoped that she would wake up before it got worse.

One night when the nightmares had first started she had begged him not to wake her. She had said at least once she wanted to see what would happen if she let the dream play out. Elena had told Damon that she believed that's why it kept playing over and over again in her head. The nightmare wasn't finished and it would keep haunting her sleep until it could finish. The idea was ridiculous but he was willing to try and she had used that pouty expression when she asked. So he had agreed to let it finish. He sat and let her hyperventilate for five minutes until the shallow breathing turned into dreadful screams and he finally was forced to wake her up. It had taken her a hot shower and forty-five minutes until she could even speak again. Once her voice did come back she was unable to tell him what had happened, only that it was dreadful. After that night he had sworn he would always wake her up as soon as he heard that distinct breathing.

Elena pulled Damon from his past memories when she shot up and snuggled her face into his chest. He quickly responded and wrapped his arms around her small body when he heard a small whimper.

"Hey, it was just a dream."

Damon gently rubbed her back as she sat silently pressed against him. Her breathing soon became even and Elena obviously realized the position she had put herself in. Silently she pulled away and looked down with a blush. Damon considered reaching for her hand but then decided against it. If she had been dreaming about her parents like he suspected then that would be enough for her to handle during one night.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Elena shook her head 'no' and looked down at her hand. Damon noticed that her hands were shaking and he felt a pain shoot through his heart.

"I don't really remember. I just remember feeling like I couldn't breathe, like I was drowning."

"Does this happen to you often?"

"Never"

She hesitated for a moment and then added

"That I can remember"

Damon contemplated how he should next respond. He wondered if it would help her to know what she had been dreaming about. Then she looked up at him and he knew it wasn't the time. He could explain it all to her in the morning. For now he would respond as he used to so many years ago.

"Lay down on your stomach"

At first it seemed that she was going to deny his request but then she obeyed. He silently began to trace designs along her back. Even though Elena may not realize the great milestone she had just reached but Damon knew and that's why he leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"I want to take you out tomorrow night."

He heard her give a soft ok and soon she drifted off to sleep. Damon was far from sleeping that night because Elena was beginning to remember.


	13. The Date

"I was Belle for Halloween"

Elena could not help but smile at the image of young Sophie dressed as the princess from Beauty and the Beast. Elena was currently folding laundry, a request Damon had asked of her earlier in the day. Sophie lay with her feet on the couch and head on the floor beside Elena as Beauty and the Beast played on the TV. It felt normal and Elena could really use normal.

"Is Belle your favorite princess?"

Sophie flipped back over so she was sitting upright on the couch when she shook her head 'no' and her face slowly went back to its normal color, instead of the bright red it had been moments before.

"Who is your favorite princess"

Elena watched as Sophie opened her mouth for a moment and then closed it only seconds later. Her face became quizzical and then Sophie jumped off the couch and ran into her father's office. Elena sat and continued to fold for a couple more moments but Sophie didn't return and curiosity seemed to get the better of Elena. She quickly stood and made her way to the doorway. The door was cracked open from the small girl who had entered moments before and Elena used it to keep herself hidden.

"Yes, you will hear from me during the next week. Bye."

It was Damon but his voice was more formal and hard compared to his voice than he used with Sophie.

"Sorry ladybug that phone call was important. What do you need? Where is Elena?"

"Daddy you never told me her name."

"and who are we talking about?"

Elena peaked through the crack and watched as Sophie climbed into Damon's open arms.

"The princess and her best friend Daddy. What was the princess's name?"

Elena stifled her laugh created from Sophie and her obvious exasperation about her father not being able to read her mind. A sigh came from Damon and Elena realized she didn't know that princess story.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Elena asked me the name of my favorite princess and I don't know her name"

There was a moment of silence again and Elena had to look through the crack again. Damon sat looking pensive for a moment and she wondered why he wasn't answering Sophie.

"Elena, her name is Elena."

Elena gasped and quickly threw her hand over her mouth. Luckily it appeared the daughter and daddy duo didn't hear her. The new revelation caused Elena to subconsciously find her way back to the couch and collapse. As she placed her head in her hand she forced her brain to stop. Forced herself to forget the name the two girls shared and made the questions of what else they shared. As she was consciously trying to stop her brain a small voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Elena are you ok?"

It was Sophie who pulled Elena from her thoughts and back to reality.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Sophie seemed to accept her answer and skipped over to sit beside Elena on the couch.

"My favorite princess is princess Elena but Daddy says you don't know that princess I'm supposed to tell you the story."

Elena forced a smile and nodded her head because she was sure that her words would currently fail her. So that's how little Sophie sat and told Elena about the girl she hopped she would one day remember and the boy she had supposedly loved with all her heart.

* * *

Damon tried to control his breathing as he listened to his little daughter relay the story he had told her every night for the past year. She had memorized it and he was no longer needed but she still asked to hear it, after all it was her favorite. It was curious whether Elena had picked up on whose story Sophie was telling. Of course she had, Elena had always been far to smart for her own good, It was actually a story he had planned on telling her tonight, when he took her to dinner. A small smirk graced his lips as he remembered that he was taking out Elena, his Elena.

He had decided to take her to the Lake house and cook her dinner. If Damon had his way they would spend the whole evening at home, in his bed. It had been far to long since he had physical relations with his wife and it was turning him into a teenage boy but above his testosterone filled needs he needed Elena to trust him, to be happy with him and that is why he knew he couldn't rush it with her.

The doorbell rang and he finally moved out of his home office to go and answer the door. Hopefully that would be Anna and that would mean he and Elena was going to start off their night. He had a feeling that tonight was going to be one of those life altering kind of nights. Damon could use a life altering type of night right about now, at least that is what he thought.

* * *

"Your not even going to give me a hint."

Elena tried to give a pout and a smirk all rolled into one in hopes that she would get some answers. She had decided while getting ready that tonight was going to be fun. She was going to not think about 'what ifs' and all the problems it had created. It was going to be a night where she was going to laugh again and Damon had already proved to be a great partner for that mission. If only she could get answers.

"Well you still are the curious thing."

"If you know me so well you should know that I hate surprises."

"You love surprises"

Trying to keep to her statement she held back the smirk that wanted to break free. They had been driving for nearly an hour and the curiosity was eating away at her but she did like surprises. It was exciting and somehow extremely thoughtful.

"Don't worry we are almost there."

"So what else do you know about me?"

For the next fifteen minutes they drove and she listened as he told her all these facts about herself. Stuff she didn't even know until he said it. The whole scenario was kind of mind blowing. He knew her favorite color was blue and not just blue but the ocean blue. Her favorite movie was The Breakfast Club and she liked carrots but hated when they were cooked. Her dream was to become a writer and eventually start a small editing company in Mystic Falls.

"Those are just facts. What about memories?"

He had even more of those for her. The story of her prom that she had forced him to go to, the time they had first said I love you, or when Ty and Sophie were born. Finally he sat and told her about the night he had asked her to marry him. Shared with her about how nervous he was and how he never considered himself the marrying type until her. Then after her, all he knew was that the only way he could live his life was with her by his side. The man was so obviously in love with her. It was absolutely terrifying

"Well were here"

Elena had been so lost in his stories she hadn't realized they had stopped and hadn't realized they were sitting outside a house. A beautiful house right beside the lake and she suddenly connected it with one of the stories.

"This is where you asked me to marry you?"

He turned and smirked at her but didn't respond and just got out of the car and walked towards the house. She of course followed shortly behind. Inside the house was just as beautiful as the outside. It was open and wooden and she could picture herself curled up in a blanket by that fireplace. Then she saw Damon in the kitchen and pulling things out of a top cupboard.

"What are you making?"

Damon turned and looked at her for a second and smirked as he pointed between both he and Elena.

"We are making chili."

"I thought you said I couldn't cook."

"Don't worry I will make sure our food survives your unnatural ability to destroy all things culinary."

Elena side punched him in the stomach and gave him an incredulous look.

"Hey"

In response Damon put up his hands in mock surrender and gave her the smirk that automatically made her grin too. It was easy and natural and before Elena was aware Damon had come up behind her and directed her to the cutting board he had set out with a tomato and knife laying on top. Damon put his lips against Elena's ear.

"You can chop the tomatoes"

It gave Elena goose bumps up and down her arm because of how near he was and the feel of his hands ghosting over hers in attempt to show her the proper way to chop the tomato. Her arm's felt strangely bare when he then released her and went to work on another piece of the recipe.

"Be careful not to cut your finger. The sight of blood makes me queasy."

Elena looked up and saw Damon watching her unsteady hand apprehensively.

"Big, strong Damon is scared of a little blood."

Her tone was light but when he stared at her for a couple minutes she wondered if he heard it as a joke or if he actually took offense. Then he finally responded.

"Only your blood."

The look in his eyes forced her to believe that he was telling the truth. In that a moment the goose bumps were back. Her heart rate was swiftly raised and Elena quickly looked back at the tomato before the heat rose to her cheeks and Damon became fully aware of the thoughts going through her mind.

It was fairly unnecessary because it wasn't the last time that Damon caused blood to flood her cheeks. She knew that tomorrow this would probably make everything else difficult and it didn't help ease any of her pain but it was instant gratification. She would also be lying if she said she didn't need the night and normalcy that Damon was so willingly giving her. After Elena had finished chopping the tomatoes, Damon put her on table setting duty because apparently he couldn't risk her destroying anything else.

"You really hurt a girl's self esteem"

Elena sulked.

"Elena you are great at a lot of things. I mean you are beautiful, smart, ambitious, and an absolutely fantastic writer. If you were also good at cooking I would never have a chance with you."

Damon picked up the pot of chili and walked it over to the table. They had simple small talk over the course of the meal. Nothing too deep but the conversation flowed easy and she smiled often. Once the meal was over Damon motioned for Elena to follow him over to the couch where he had her sit down. Elena sat and waited while Damon picked up some wood and began to start a fire. During the building of the fire a silence fell among the two. It was comfortable.

"Any other questions for me about your past?"

Damon asked as he walked back to the couch and sat down beside her only to pull her feet into his lap.

"Why was I in New York?"

Damon looked down and slightly frowned.

"I don't really know. You had first gone to talk to someone about a loan for your editing company but you shouldn't have been in the twin towers. You told me that morning you had found something out and you would talk to me about it when you got but obviously you never came."

"You didn't ever wonder or think about figuring it out?"

Damon looked over at Elena and the fire reflected from his tear filled eyes.

"I just - couldn't"

Damon sighed and let out a frustrated sigh. There was a beat of silence and then Damon gently placed her feet on the ground and rose from the couch.

"I have something to show you"

For a moment he disappeared into a back room and returned with a cardboard box. He set it on the floor and Elena noticed that the box was full of black books.

"What are those?"

"Your journals. You wrote in them religiously ever since you were fifteen. I haven't been able to open any of them but I figured it may give you some answers."

Elena's fingers grazed against the books and she looked up into Damon's eyes. The room suddenly had insane tension and she watched as Damon looked down at her lips and back at her eyes. It took seconds and his fingers were weaved into her hair and Elena was kissing Damon. Before she realized her body responded and she kissed him back, passionately.

Then as sudden as the tension had come the realization of what she was doing pulled at her. She quickly disentangled herself from Damon and stepped back with wide eyes and disheveled hair. Elena watched as Damon reluctantly dropped his hands and looked down at the floor, breathing heavy from their passionate embrace.

"We should go."

Elena was the first to break the silence and Damon looked up with such a broken expression.

"You don't have to feel bad for wanting me"

Damon stated as the fire began to return to his eyes. All the fears and thoughts she had held back for the day returned in the moment and she realized what she had to do. She had to run. Instead of answering she quietly picked up the box full of her journals only to walk out the door and into the van.

* * *

Flashes of that day, the day the plane had crashed into the building, flew through Damon's mind as he stood in the hall right outside his kid's bedroom. The moment they returned Elena had gone up and begun packing her bag. He had tried to talk sense into her without waking the kids but she wasn't responding. So he had decided to take Anna home and try to calm down because he could no longer respond, as he wanted, his kids had softened him.

When he had returned he found Elena in the kids room quietly whispering to the kids. She was talking to them as they slept but he overheard her whisper unheard apologies and promises. Then he watched as Elena again walked out of his life but this time it was a willing walk out. Damon was devastated.


	14. Everbody Needs a Friend

_A/N- I was going to wait till I finished before writing another authors note but you have forced my hand in responding, all your reviews are just too beautiful. I cannot thank you enough for all the words you have taken the time to write about my story. I thank you for those who have so thoughtfully given me constructive criticism; you have helped me to continue to grow as a storyteller and writer. I also would like to thank all those who have complimented this story so beautifully. Your words are so meaningful and I often feel my simple attempt of trying to share the story that has blossomed in my head is unworthy of your reviews. Finally I would like to thank everyone who has read this story even with all its grammatical errors and missing words. I often get so excited to share the next chapter with you I don't proofread like I should. Again, Thank you. I hope your week is as beautiful as you are._

* * *

Self-hatred. That was currently the feeling that Elena felt through her entire body. It coursed through every cell and radiated a hundred yards in all directions. Making her stomach churn and the anxiety throw her close to the edge of panic. Her bag she packed for the week at Damon's was currently thrown in her back seat.

Elena knew that she had made the right decision, leaving Damon and the kids. At least she thought she did. It had been something she realized after Damon had kissed her. The choice was made in an instant. The moment her mind had caught up with her lips she knew what she had to do. She had to run because of the feelings. She had known from the very beginning that Damon was dangerous. That she could easily have initial physical attraction take over and fall for Damon and his striking blue eyes but she had assured herself that her love for Stefan was stronger then that. Than she had spent less then a week with Damon and everything she had forced herself to believe was no longer true. Leaving her more lost and confused than she had been before.

For a moment she considered going back to Stefan. He had been the one to save her. Stefan had been the one to bring her back to life from her proverbial death. Damon was different though. He made her question everything, both her past and future life. He never seemed extremely upset about making her angry and would rarely apologize. Damon and Stefan were so very different and yet somehow they had both taken a place in her heart.

Elena had to find who she loved before she could go back to either of them. That was the reason she sat outside a house she had never been to before. Well that she remembered. She had found the address easily through a phone book at a local diner. Now she sat and patiently waited for the courage to get out of the car and walk towards the house. Or maybe the courage would be forced upon her, a knock sounded on Elena's door. She rolled down her window the moment she realized who was standing outside her door.

"Are you going to come inside or should I bring you some dinner? You are starting to worry my wife."

"Sorry, Jeremy. I was um trying to gain some courage."

"Well gain some courage as you come and eat dinner with us."

They both then briskly made their way into the house. The moment Elena entered, she smelled the aroma of a delicious dinner and noticed their decorated kitchen with mute tones. It was mere seconds before Bonnie embraced her in a hug. Soon after and the family fell into an easy conversation. It wasn't till after they had finished and were all cleaning the mess in the kitchen when Jeremy finally led Elena into the conversation she was attempting to work up to.

"So is Damon not feeding you Elena or were you stalking outside for another reason."

Before Elena could respond Bonnie answered with a laugh.

"Feeding Elena has never been Damon's problem"

Both Jeremy and Bonnie laughed together, as if she had just said some funny inside joke. A joke that Elena knew she did not fully understand. After a few moments Elena cleared her throat and responded.

"Actually I was wondering if I could stay with you guys for a few days."

Elena decided that the choice to just ask would be better then to avoid her real question for a couple more minutes. Then both Bonnie and Jeremy lost the smile that had previously adorned both there faces and just stared at her. There facial expressions were not readable and caused for her to fidget and pull at her two fingers. Caroline had gone back to New York for a few days and she did not really have another idea of where she would feel invited to stay. She started going through a list of local hotels that she could stay at.

"You are always welcome here Elena but why? Did Damon do something?"

Bonnie was the first to break the tension by talking. Elena let out a relieved sigh as she realized she in fact would be able to stay at their house. She hated hotels and she really did want to get to know her brother and his wife better. They had formed a fast bond and Elena could already tell they were people she could easily love.

"It wasn't his fault. I just, I'm not being fair to them and I need to figure out who I am and what I want."

Elena watched as Bonnie sent a silent message to her husband. In moments Jeremy picked up on the not so subtle hint and exited with a simple excuse of going to finish up some artwork he had started. As soon as Jeremy was out of earshot Bonnie turned back to Elena and asked her to explain everything from beginning to end and the strange thing was, Elena did. As if Bonnie was her trusted best friend Caroline, she told her everything from the omelet, her growing relationship with Sophie, strained relationship with Ty, and her growing attraction to Damon.

"I just, I love Stefan I know that I do but I need to figure out my feelings for Damon before I can say 'I Do'."

Bonnie gave her a sympathetic smile as she started a pot of tea on the stove. Stating how it soothed her pregnant stomach and then offered some to Elena. They stayed quiet as they moved over to the table with their steaming cups of tea.

Then for a few moments they stayed silent as Elena watched Bonnie think of the right words she would say to her hurting friend.

"What did you think was going to happen when staying with Damon and the kids?"

"I don't know I guess I thought I would find some great answer. An answer to who I am. Then I started hoping I would find some great downfall in Damon that tells me I made the right choice. That I am making the right choice by choosing Stefan."

"Damon is a good man. It took him awhile to grow up but he always did really love you and he loves those kids more then anything."

"That is not really helping me."

"If you came here for somebody to tell you it was alright to forget about Damon and what you used to have you came to the wrong place. Look, I have not always been a Damon Salvatore fan and he still is not my favorite person but he has become family and I watched him mourn you. Trust me, I don't know if he will survive going through that again. Besides its not just about Damon anymore its about Sophie and Ty as well."

The words that Bonnie spoke took their place beside the rest of Elena's thoughts racing through her mind and the feeling of self-hatred continued to multiply. Elena dropped her head in defeat and felt for a moment as if she might again cry Bonnie responded by gently putting her hand on Elena's and telling her she did not have to make a decision that night and with that she led her to the guest bedroom.

* * *

"I told you to be careful."

Damon glared at Alaric and his unhelpful side comment. Elena had left and apparently spent the night at her childhood home with Bonnie and Jeremy. Damon would be lying if he had said he was not relieved to know she had not run straight back to Stefan and his large home. Since she had run to Bonnie, Jenna had learned about it the very next morning and Jenna had demanded she take the kids for the evening and both Alaric and Damon go to the bar. Jenna had never been a fan of when their bromance led them to the bar but Damon could see the worry in her eyes after he had dropped off Sophie and Ty. He also knew that Jenna would not let him anywhere near Sophie or Ty if he came back intoxicated. So Damon sat at the bar nursing one bourbon, he was nursing it dry but he refused to drink anymore.

It was no longer just Elena who was his reason for living. His kids had long since taken that place as well. That is why even though Damon wanted to get wasted and just forget he decided against it.

"I can't just give up on her. She is my wife."

Alaric had told him to be careful. Alaric was one of the few people that had always stood in Damon's corner. They did not really sit and share their emotions, that would never be Damon. However, if Damon was going to trust anyone with something as personal as his inner thoughts it was Alaric Saltzman.

"She is no longer Elena, the girl you married. Time will change a person Damon. Plus it was not just a couple years, it was a couple years where she didn't know who you were, she didn't know who she was."

Damon breathed out a heavy sigh because over two years was a long time. Especially since she had to form who she was from scratch but Damon had already tried to find closure. He had attempted to move on and let her be happy but even Rose had seen his attempt to be useless. Damon had also seen that Elena might have changed in some ways, she had lost her confidence andn was not as quick to pick a fight, but who she was, the girl he had fallen in love with was still the same. She still was fiercely loyal and loving. So, Damon would sit back and pray that eventually he would show her how great they could be, how great they had been. As if seeing Damon's decision, Alaric shook his head and let out a short laugh.

"You never did know when to say no to her."

After that the conversation was dropped. They spent the rest of the afternoon being Alaric and Damon and it felt great. Tomorrow could hold plan B on winning Elena back. For this moment he was going to sit and enjoy time with his friend


	15. Strawberries for Memories

Ty sat on his bed with his legs pulled up against his chest. He pressed the left arrow and the b button doing a quick jump over the ledge. It was level eleven and he had been trying to beat it for a whole week now. Ty was moments away from winning when a knock on his door distracted him. A moment later and his Dad's head appeared.

"Ty were leaving for dinner in ten minutes."

"Do I have to?"

His dad did not respond, he just gave him that look. The look that told Ty, that was not a question he could ask. So, Ty rolled his eyes because he knew where they were going. They were going to see _her_. Ty knew that he didn't actually have anything against Elena. For a short time he had even liked her but then everything had changed.

Ty had caught on quickly that his dad liked Elena. He still did not get the whole idea of why boys like girls but his dad always told him 'one day soon' he would. Ty did not know about that, all Ty knew was that he missed his mom.

He had always known that his dad missed her too. Ty had learned that it was better left not talked about. He had never seen everybody so sad, than the week his dad told him his mom went to heaven. For the first week he watched his dad look very sad every time Sophie or Ty even mentioned the word 'mom' or asked where she was. After asking his Uncle Jeremy about it, he had decided that it was best not to ever talk about his mom. So he didn't because he knew that it made his dad sad but now it appeared his dad no longer missed his mom. Even that would be ok if she was not so much like his mom. She looked and sounded like his mom, at least what he remembered, but his dad had told him a long time ago that his mom was not coming back and he believed his dad.

"Ty lets go."

Ty was so lost in his thoughts that he did not see his dad walk in his room with Sophie hanging around his leg. Ty knew better then to not listen to his dad and so he silently got off his bed and walked towards them with his game boy gripped in his hand.

"Leave your game at home, Son"

Obediently he placed the game on his dresser but not before grumbling some words. Making sure to say them just loud enough that his father heard.

"Ty this attitude is getting old real fast."

Ty felt a tinge of guilt; he did not want to make his dad angry. Quickly Ty looked at his little sister in hopes of some form of support. He hoped that she could at least distract the wrath of their Dad. Before anybody could discuss the situation further Ty was being ushered out of his room.

"We will talk about this when we get home. We are going to be late."

With a nod of his head he followed his family into their vehicle and the silence ensued. All that could be heard was the quiet radio and it made Ty feel even worse because he had to just watch his dad and his dad looked tired and sad.

* * *

Damon was tired. He was forced to deal with idiots all day. Then his son decided to give him attitude with every request he received. Damon couldn't blame the kid because he did not want to go to the dinner tonight either. A dinner with a woman that had repeatedly denied him was not on his wish list. The plan was still to win Elena back but he needed at least a short recovery time. Even Damon Salvatore could only take so many hits before it took a blow to his ego.

As Damon knocked on his in-laws door, he watched Ty walk up to him with his head hung low. His son mumbled out what Damon assumed was an apology. Ty was definitely his Mother's son. Before Damon could respond the door was opened and they were all ushered into the cozy home.

The moment after Jeremy took their coats both kids ran up the stairs. Jeremy had made the extra bedroom a place the kids could hang out whenever they came over. Being without any kids of their own both Bonnie and Jeremy liked to spoil their niece and nephew rotten. In a few short months Damon knew that revenge was going to be sweet.

"How were the criminals of Mystic Falls today?"

Damon rolled his eyes in response to Jeremy's question. The town of Mystic Falls was quiet and peaceful. Other then a few misdemeanor charges of drug possession from high school students, Damon mainly got his client base from neighboring cities. His reputation for being ruthless in court preceded him and he was often sought out.

"Idiots as per normal."

Jeremy chuckled and they both entered the kitchen where Bonnie and Elena both were busy in the kitchen.

"You did not tell me Elena was cooking. I could have picked up a pizza on my way over here."

Damon easily fell into his slightly offensive comments to break the feeling of being uncomfortable. He was quickly told he made the wrong move by the glare Bonnie sent his direction.

"Don't be a jerk Damon"

"They have been slaving away in this kitchen for most of the afternoon. Actually, from all the giggling I would say it was more like a girl slumber party. I spent most of my time in the workshop" Jeremy informed.

Damon raised his eyebrows and was quick to add his own snarky comment.

"You left during a girl slumber party? I hear they can be, entertaining."

"Done"

Elena shouted out before anybody else could reprimand Damon for his inappropriate comment Her outburst pulled eyes to her as she smiled down proudly at a pan she had just pulled out of the oven. Damon leaned over her shoulder and spotted the freshly baked chip dip. Quickly he snatched a chip and reached around Elena to scoop some up. He felt Elena stiffen at his touch and she finally reacted when he had already placed the chip in his mouth. She reached up and smacked his arm, scolding him in the process. Damon just smiled and tried to hold back the grimace from it burning his tongue.

"Hot, just the way I like it."

Damon chuckled with a wink and then exited the kitchen as quickly as he had entered. Not before hearing Bonnie remark to her husband.

"I told you this was not a good idea."

Jeremy chose not to respond and shouted out to Damon.

"Make yourself useful and tell the kids dinner is ready."

Damon was already walking up the steps, two at a time. He walked in just as a soccer ball came sailing through the door. With ease, Damon caught the ball and entered the room to see both kids looking rather guilty.

"No throwing balls in the house. Now let's go downstairs, dinner is ready."

Sophie was quick to giggle and run past him to head for the stairs. Ty was slower but he quietly walked over to Damon. Damon gave him a tight smile and placed his hand on his shoulder as they both made their way to the kitchen. He decided it was best to talk to Ty about what was going on after they got home. Ty had been acting distant lately but especially today. It made Damon wonder if it had to do with the bully at his school. The idea that somebody was hurting his son made him angry and right then was not the time to be angry so Damon pulled his attention to the laughter that came from the kitchen.

Little Sophie was currently in Jeremy's arms talking very animatedly. The sight was an instant stress relief and Damon felt a genuine smile tugging to break free. It would have broken free the whole way if his peripherals were not still on his son. Who had just sat down at the table looking rather upset.

Elena must have caught onto the same thing because she grabbed Damon's attention with a questioning look. In response Damon just shook his head and went and sat down beside Ty.

Soon they were all seated around the table and fell into a comfortable banter, with the occasional comic relief from his very own Sophie. As they all filled their plates Bonnie spoke up.

"Make sure to save room. Jeremy brought home strawberries and I made some shortcake for desert."

"Sophie is allergic to strawberries."

The interjection from Elena caught Damon off guard. He knew the fact had yet to come up from a conversation he had with Elena. For a moment he passed it off that she had read it in one of the journals he had given her. Then Damon caught a glimpse of Elena's face and he felt a surge of hope. Her face was filled with both surprise and questioning.

"Don't worry Elena, Dad lets me put blueberries on instead. Right Daddy?"

Just as Damon was being pulled into questions of intrigue and wonderment, Damon was brought back to what he knew.

"If they have blueberries, ladybug"

It would make sense that this was one of the first facts Elena was beginning to remember again. First it was the trauma from her car accident, and now the trauma from the time they thought they were going to loose their little girl.

* * *

_Elena had called Damon at work and told him to meet them at the park. When he had arrived he found his little family sitting under a tree with a picnic basket. Elena smiled warmly at him as he approached and pointed him out to the little two years old currently playing with the dandelions. Sophie squealed with excitement and ran towards him only to trip and fall into his arms._

_He picked her up and began to make his way towards his wife only to have to arms grasp around his leg and stop him._

"_Dad, did you see me? Dad, look I can hit the soccer ball with my head."_

_As if Ty just assumed his Dad would now watch, he ran back to his soccer ball and threw it in the air before bumping it with his head. The ball went a measly foot but the smile that radiated from his son made Damon cheer with pride._

"_Ok, Soccer star your dad is here and that means its time for lunch."_

_Elena called out and they all followed her subtle order by walking to the basket and taking their seat. Sophie stayed seated in Damon's lap and Ty could barely sit still as he so desperately wanted to get back to his soccer ball. The lunch was nice though and made Damon's stressful morning disappear just like the contents of the picnic basket._

_It was nearing one and Damon found himself leaning up against the tree with Elena tucked between his legs and leaning against his chest. They sat peacefully watching their kids play together on the jungle gym._

"_I am really glad you could come"_

_Elena said barely above a whisper but Damon heard her. He bent his head down and smiled, nodding his head._

"_Me too."_

_Damon never would have known he could be so happy. Especially this happy as a settled down and married man, he always assumed this type of life was too boring. One thing was now for certain life with Elena Salvatore life was never boring. Their silent adoration for one another was soon thwarted from Ty screaming and racing towards them._

"_What's wrong buddy?"_

_Damon asked as concern crept around his heart._

"_Sophie"_

_It was all Ty had to say with his worried face before Damon untangled himself from his wife and made his way towards the jungle gym. Where he now noticed a little bundle of pink collapsed on the ground._

_The moment he reached her he noticed her swollen face and her shallow breathing._

"_Daddy?"_

_The plea was quiet and hoarse and it broke Damon's heart. He swiftly picked her up and started walking to their car. Elena already had their belongings packed up and was begging for an explanation of what was going on._

"_Call 911 Elena"_

_Was Damon's only response because he could not bring himself to say anything else. He broke every speed limit and passed every stop sign on his way to the ER. Then he handed her over to the doctors and they just had to wait. _

_They sat and they waited. Damon sat and explained to Ty that it was not his fault. Damon sat and held Elena whispering that everything was going to be ok. While in his own heart he carried his doubts. He feared that they had been too late and he chastised himself for not watching her more closely._

_The answers finally came and Damon finally found that he was able to breath again. It had been the strawberry jam from their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. That was ok, it was an acceptable reason because it was something he could protect her from. He would burn every strawberry patch if he could know that he would never have to see his little girl like that again, broken and barely breathing._

* * *

Elena tried to search through the memories of the last weeks. It surprised even her when she made the declaration that Sophie could not have strawberries but she knew it was true. She did not have to look at Damon and make sure she got her facts straight, she just knew and that surprised her. Maybe she was beginning to remember and that was exciting and terrifying.

"Elena, can I talk to you for a minute."

Before Elena could respond to Damon, Ty got up and began to walk out of the kitchen. His upset mood was radiating off of him.

"Hey, don't you have something to say."

Ty stopped and looked over at his Dad. He rolled his eyes and then made his way upstairs. Elena watched as Damon gave a quick apology and followed the path just recently made by Ty. Everyone was rather silent with the departure of Ty and Damon. Even Sophie was abnormally quiet.

Then finally Damon returned only to look deep in thought and in no way relieved.

"I know this probably is not a good time but I think it is time to tell Sophie and Ty."

Immediately she knew what he wanted to tell them and it terrified her. She wondered what Ty and Damon had said.

"You can either come over tonight or sometime tomorrow morning."

Elena silently nodded and then Bonnie interrupted.

"Just talk to them right now. Jer and I will clean up from dinner and you can have all the time you need."

They all knew how important this conversation was. For Elena this conversation could mean soon she could play the larger role she was wanting in the kid's lives. Or it could mean she could lose them all forever. She had a feeling if Damon had to choose currently between her and the kids, he would choose them and with good reason. She would want him to choose them but the loss of those three was surprisingly painful to think about.

"Thanks. Soph, Elena and I need to talk to you and your brother upstairs."

Sophie responded by reaching her hands out and silently asking him to hold her. Damon willingly accepted and the three made their way up the stairs. Silently they all sat down on the bed that Ty was currently squatting on. He still looked very sad and it was painful for Elena to see.

They remained silent as Damon obviously tried to think of the best way to tell his kids that their mom was not actually dead.

"Guys you know how I said mommy went to heaven a couple years ago."

Sophie smiled and nodded her head.

"Well, it turns out that mommy did not actually die. The doctor got her confused with somebody else. Your mommy did not actually go to heaven."

Damon paused as if to make sure that the kids were understanding.

"Well where did she go?"

"Mommy hit her head really hard and she couldn't remember. She stayed with Uncle Stefan for awhile because they thought she was somebody else."

Ty glared at Elena as if his little mind already understood what Damon was about to say.

"Sophie and Ty, Elena is mommy."

Sophie giggled and for a moment Ty's face carried a look of confusion. Only to be quickly covered with another glare.

"I hate you"

Ty declared as he looked directly at Elena and he rushed off the bed and down the stairs. Damon stood and gave her an apologetic look.

"Don't worry, it will just take a little bit. I will talk to him. Sophie we are leaving ok."

Sophie nodded but the moment Damon left she jumped on Elena's lap and looked up at her.

"Was heaven pretty Mommy? Daddy said he didn't know if heaven was covered in pink. I love pink"

Elena attempted a smile as best she could.

"Sweetie, I wasn't in heaven, I just forgot for a little bit. I will explain it to you when you are older but you should go downstairs so your dad is not waiting."

Sophie nodded and smiled and then scampered downstairs. Elena also needed her to leave because it was time for her to pull out the journals. It was going to be a long night for both Damon and Elena.


	16. The Mind is a Mystery

Elena took a deep breath as she sat with her back against the wall in the bed she had been given from Jeremy and Bonnie. It was time to meet Elena Salvatore. With that thought she opened up the journal that lay on top. _High School #1_

* * *

Damon breathed in as he knocked on the door to his son's bedroom. He had just put Sophie to bed and decided that this conversation could not wait until morning. "Ty, I know you are awake"

Ty squinted his one eye open and Damon flicked the switch to turn the light on. The father and son fell into an uncomfortable silence as Damon sat on the bed and gazed down at his son who was adjusting to the light.

"I bet you are confused."

"I understand, Dad."

Damon was slightly taken back from Ty's harsh tone and quick words. It was obvious that Ty was angry. Damon could handle that. Damon understood anger. It was the other stuff that scared him. The sadness and insecurities that swirled in Ty's eyes that made Damon uneasy.

"Well help me to understand, cause I sure don't"

Ty and Damon met eyes and Damon watched the familiar flame of emotions cross his young son's face.

"She didn't love me enoug."

The reason for his son's vast array of emotions finally made sense. He made out that Elena did not love him and Damon almost criticized himself for not realizing it sooner. Of course that is how Ty would see his mother's two year hiatus from his life. Damon remembered the times when he would sit up at night and hear his parents argue. Always blaming himself for the mess of a relationship his parents had. Kid's did not always see all the factors that played a part in a horrid situation. This was a horrid situation.

Quietly, Damon placed his hands on either side of Ty. Making sure that Ty was looking directly at him. Making sure Ty would never have such great self doubt.

"None of what happened or is happening has anything to do with mom loved you so much that even without her memories she still loves you."

"If she loved me she wouldn't forget me"

It was a thought that plagued Damon in the dead of night when he would lay awake and just wanted to hold his wife as they fell asleep. Damon knew the thought was unfair but he could understand the reasoning.

"Your mom hit her head really hard. I promise she wishes more than anything that she could remember you and your sister."

Ty sat silently and looked at his hands, the pain had not left his face.

* * *

_I mean really the arrogance of this man is incredible and she had totally loved it. What kind of person could not see Damon was an absolute. An absolute. I have a lot of words, but I promised I would never write in clichés, not even just in my journal. To make sure I don't start forming bad habits._

_A bad habit would be to start spending any substantial amount of time with Damon Salvatore. There is no denying that he is attractive but the man is selfish and arrogant and incredibly dangerous to girls everywhere. He is the type of boy that my dad warned me about._

Elena quizzically turned the page to her journal. It had been her first mention of Damon and it seemed far from love at first sight. She had just assumed they had been high school sweethearts.

It was obvious Damon had an arrogance about him but she could not picture him with that lack of love in his eyes, or lacking that compassionate heart that came out every time he was around Sophie and Ty. She wondered what changed and so she continued to read on.

* * *

"I'm really sorry Dad. I didn't mean to be so mean to her. I bet she hates me."

Damon's next breath fell short as he looked down at Ty. The boy had big tears welling up underneath his eyelids and his bottom lip began to quiver. It reminded him of a brown eyed girl, woman, who use to cry over the loss of her parents. So he responded the same as he would have with Elena and he wrapped his arms around Ty and held him close to his chest.

It only took a moment before the water leaked and the sobs escaped.

Guilt.

Guilt came with those sobs because Damon had never heard his son so sad and he could only assume this had been a long time coming. Before they rediscovered Elena, maybe even since that first week of Elena's "death".

Damon had gone crazy with worry about his son. He had not wanted to create worry or alarm for his children but the lack of emotion from his oldest drew concern. He had asked a professional what they thought and they had encouraged Damon to bring Ty in for some counseling. Damon had declined because he did not want Ty to think something was wrong with him. Nothing was wrong with his son; Damon knew what it was like to want to grieve in silence. So he had left his son grieve in his own way and now he feared he did more damage than good.

After the noise became quiet, Damon pulled his son away from his chest and looked him directly in the eye.

"Do not for one minute think that. She could never hate you and her leaving was my fault. Do you understand me?"

Ty nodded his head 'yes' and Damon rubbed his thumb across his small cheek to pick up the leftover tears.

* * *

_Ok, I admit it; I misjudged Damon Salvatore. Today I was working at the studio. Damon came to pick up Andie, but she was not ready yet. So he had decided that it would be fun to bother me. Except, it turned out to not be very bothersome and he actually was not a total. Well he was enjoyable company and I think he actually was, maybe is, good but he got lost along the way. If I was so wrong about Damon, I wonder what else or who else I have misjudged._

Elena quickly flips the page. She can no longer read her thoughts abut Damon from so long ago. She can relate to those feelings. She can understand the Damon who makes her question her beliefs and her life, and that scares her into maybe even caring for him. Apparently Damon was surprising her even way back when they were both just in high school.

Elena skims the pages but she finds herself running into a problem. It has become quite near impossibly for her to find a page that did not have Damon's name weaved throughout.

Even she realizes the Elena from the journals had fallen in love with Damon, even before 'journal Elena' can admit it to herself.

* * *

Damon was tired. As he walked into his bedroom and stepped out of his shoes he realized he was more tired than he could ever remember being. He was more tired than when he was in law school, working a full time job and he slept typically less than three hours a night. He was even more tired than when both Ty and Elena were sick with the stomach bug and Sophie was not yet a month old. He lovingly had referred to that weekend as 'the week from hell', not very original, but honest.

Now he was slipping underneath his covers before midnight and he wanted to fall asleep for the remainder of the week, because his little boy was sad seemingly beyond repair and the person he would always love seemed to possibly be in love with another man beyond any form of reconsideration. Damon was tired.

"Daddy?"

* * *

Elena was about to close the journals and never look at them again, at least not until the curiosity took her past her fears. Before she could close the books and hide them away, she came across an entry that was different from the rest. It still had mentions of Damon at least five times but it seemed to have been written in a different tone.

_I cannot breath. I do not know if I will ever be able to completely breath again. My parents are dead. That is the first time that I wrote that sentence. In a way it is to allow me to fully admit to myself what had happened that afternoon._

_My parents had asked me to join them for lunch because I had told them the Sunday before that Damon always worked through lunch on Wednesday. I had planned on going and then Damon had surprised me with missing his one class to take me out. He told me that he was scared of becoming like his Dad. It was a fear I knew that he possessed but he stated one of the many ways of making sure he was not his father was making sure he kept me as his priority. I remember being so happy that day, the crazy type of happy, the kind of happy where you have to physically think about not breaking out into a full grin. Then that phone call had come._

_They had still decided to go out. They chose to drive across town and over the Wickery Bridge, it had taken one careless driver who was texting on his phone that caused my Dad to swerve through the guardrail and plunge into the icy water below._

_Nobody had gotten there in time, my parents both died that day, and I knew that I should have been in that car with them. So now, every night, I have the same nightmare, and every night I wake up with Damon gently waking me as I fight to catch my breath. I cannot breath._

Elena stopped reading because that was a moment she could picture. Not because she remembered it but because it had happened to her just days before. She had to see Damon.

* * *

Damon picked Sophie up so she could sit on his bed with him. It was way past when she should be awake but he really could not complain about her company. Her view on life was always so simple.

"Daddy, where is Mommy?"

"She is sleeping at Uncle Jer and Aunt Bonnie's."

Sophie sat quietly for a moment before she stared up at him with her big wondering eyes.

"Can I sleep there too?"

He knew that she had not meant it but it had caused Damon's fears to rise up within him. He did not know if he could lose his baby girl. He would deny it to anyone who asked but it would in all sense of the word destroy him. In a quick reflex he made a silly face and asked her a simple question.

"Do you not like sleeping here with Ty and I. Who will I have tea if you leave?"

The response Sophie gave him was enough to bring his body back to rest. With her face she made when she thought something was incredibly silly and a light giggle, Sophie responded.

"Daddy, you need to come too. If you don't come then who is going to protect mommy from hitting her head again."

"You're scared mommy is going to hit her head?"

"Yeah I don't want her to forget me again."

He pulled Sophie close and allowed her to use his chest as a pillow before whispering into the room.

"Don't worry we will go see her tomorrow. Promise."

After a kiss on the head both Father and Daughter fell into a sleep with dreams of happier moments.

* * *

Elena gripped tightly to her steering wheel as she waited for the light to turn green. It had been a sudden decision to drive towards Damon at such a time but she could not stop herself. The questions would keep her from falling asleep she was sure. It was only a few moments till she reached her destination she just hoped that he would not be too angry.

As she was making a turn her breathing skipped and her mind began to race. There was a bridge in front of her. A bridge she had driven over before. This time was different; something was causing her to fear the few yards it took to cross it. _Elena it only has as much power as you give it_. The voice of Damon floated through her mind as if he was sitting right beside her. Then she realized with sudden clarity what Bridge she had crossed with such trepidation. It was Wickery Bridge. The Wickery Bridge. With this sudden realization she did what she had been considering to do since she was introduced to Damon and the kids that caused her to face her forgotten past, she fled.


	17. Time for Goodbye

Stefan gripped tightly to his steering wheel as he drove down the street. He should have seen the signs. The calls from Elena had been less frequent than normal and when they had talked he had felt her distance. Stefan had wanted to give her that space if she had needed it but he was not just going to give her up so easily.

_Stefan grumbled something as he sleepily made his way to answer the door. The knocking had aroused him from sleep _

_"Elena?"_

_ Elena quickly brushed her fingers over her cheek, alerting Stefan that she had been crying. Quickly, he opened the door to allow her to enter. No words were spoken as she did. No words were spoken as she was obviously trying to think of what to say. Something had to have happened. He knew Elena staying with Damon was a disaster waiting to happen but Elena was stubborn and he could not say no to her. He had never said no to Katherine either. Stefan always thought that was what made their relationship work; he was willing to risk his own happiness to give her what she desired. What he did not realize was that these actions were exactly what separated him from Damon, and Elena from Katherine._

_"Did something happen?"_

_Stefan reached his hand up to caress her cheek but she stepped back before their skins could touch. A dread flowed through Stefan like nothing he had ever experienced. That is a lie, once, he felt it once, the day that he watched the tower crash into the building. The building where the woman he loved had died. He had felt the same dread the day he had lost the woman he loved._

_"We need to call off the wedding."_

_Stefan tried to read the situation, tried to think of the correct words to say but nothing came. He had never been one for eloquent speeches but in that moment he wished that he was._

_"I don't understand. What happened? Is this about those kids?"_

_Finally she looked back up at him and he wished that she would look back down. A look of anger shot through her eyes for just a moment but it was long enough to realize he made a terrible error._

_"It has nothing to do with Ty or Sophie. This is about me."_

_Elena's once timid expression was now hard and unyielding. _

_"So after a few words from Damon and you suddenly are willing to give this all up?"_

_This was the woman he loves and he had a right to fight for her. He had a right to show her why they belonged together, why they would always belong together._

_"I told you this is not about Damon or our kids, this about me and figuring out who I am. I am definitely not Katherine and now I am starting to question whether I am even Elena."_

_"I do not care that you are not Katherine. You were the woman I spent countless hours with in therapy and you are the woman that I love."_

_"I am so sorry Stefan."_

_Stefan watched as Elena turned on her heal and walked back to the entrance, the entrance to the house that Stefan had bought for her because she had so desperately wanted to move away from the city life. It was the one time he had wished that he had told her no. Before Stefan could chastise himself any longer, he swiftly cut her off from leaving._

_"Just sleep on it. We can talk about it in the morning with a clear head."_

_Silently Elena stepped around him and opened the door, with one foot on either side of the threshold she tuned back to Stefan._

_"Goodbye, Stefan"_

_He hated how final the phrase sounded._

* * *

"Hello, you must be Jeremy, I am Stefan, and I was hoping to talk with Elena."

Jeremy looked quizzically at the man standing outside his door. He remembered overhearing a conversation between Bonnie and Elena, Stefan was the name of her fiancé. Jeremy had never asked Elena more about him because there was something that had never changed. Damon and Elena would always end up together. He had to admit that to himself along time ago, when he personally felt she deserved far better than Damon Salvatore. Damon had somehow turned into a man who Jeremy highly respected but from the couple of interactions he had witnessed between Damon and Elena, their chemistry had in no way decreased.

"I think she is still in her room."

As if on cue Jeremy's wife came down the stairs with a look of concern.

"Is Elena with you?"

"She is not with you?"

"No"

"Maybe she went to Damon's?"

Their banter went fluidly and soon everyone became thoroughly aware  
that Elena had left in the night with no sign of returning. Her room  
had been cleared out and she left no letter informing the house where  
she had fled. Jeremy was not one to worry, especially about Elena, who  
had always been strong and capable of taking care of herself. Even now  
he just assumed that she was with Damon and the kids. Even if Elena  
chose to stay with Stefan she would never choose to leave her kids and  
Damon would kill before he allowed anybody thought of taking them away  
from. That much Jeremy was sure. Just as Jeremy was about to interrupt  
Stefan who was giving Bonnie a hard time for not knowing where Elena  
was, the doorbell rang.

As if Damon knew he was being talked about he was the next one that  
entered the house with Sophie on his back and Ty playing his shadow.

"Hey, I have two kids who wanted to see their mom."

Damon was obviously thrilled to start calling Elena 'mom'. Damon had  
first started using the title after they had discovered she was  
pregnant with Ty. Elena had not stopped gushing about it. So of course  
Damon had overdone it. Jeremy was sure he called her 'mom'  
when it was just the two of them.

Damon's obvious good mood was dashed the moment his eyes fell on  
Stefan. Their greeting was then awkward and uncomfortable for everyone  
in the room.

"Where is Mommy?"

Sophie of course the ever present buffer for everyone else, she asked  
a question was followed with a giggle. Jeremy watched Ty with  
curiosity as he too appeared to anxiously be awaiting his Mother's  
presence. Something that had not occurred since Elena had returned to  
them. It was a big step even though Ty did not actually know Elena was  
his Mother until last night.

"Yeah, where is Mom?"

Damon emphasized the title and was quick to recover from his awkward  
greeting with his cousin, moments before.

"We thought she was with you."

Stephan interjected the almost giddy family requesting the presence of  
Elena Salvatore, mother sister and the very best friend.

"Obviously she isn't"

Damon snapped as he placed Sophie on the ground and looked at Stefan  
like he was going to throw a punch. Jeremy finally spoke up, it was  
time for him to intervene before Damon did anything in front of his  
children that he would regret.

"Nobody has seen her since last night."

Before anybody could say anything else Damon was exiting the house and  
heading back to his car.

"Daddy I thought we were going to see Mommy."

Damon stopped from his mission and leaned down to talk with his  
daughter, the only one, other than Elena, who could stop him from  
doing what he set his mind on.

"Ladybug you need to stay with Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Jer. I will be  
back I promise."

"But Daddy I want to come with you."

At that moment Jeremy made eye contact with Damon and nobody needed to tell  
him what the father was telling him. Silently he walked towards the  
father daughter duo and picked Sophie up in his arm. It allowed for  
Damon to return to his previous mission and before Jeremy had returned  
the house, Damon was almost out of sight.

"Where is he going?" Stefan asked.

"To find his wife."

Jeremy was probably a little harsh but he just could not care as he  
placed Sophie on the ground and led both children upstairs to play  
until their fathers return.

* * *

Damon could only think of one place that Elena could be, unless she  
had chosen to go back to New York. He had to believe that she would  
not go back to that state. He still had yet to return that state but  
if it meant getting her back he might just have to. Before he could  
think of his quick road trip plans he spotted her.

Hair blowing in the wind, legs crossed, and journals scattered around  
her. She was sat outside the lake house on the dock and she was  
looking out onto the water so she had yet to see him approach. Damon  
decided to take advantage of the moment. To watch the beauty so  
focused on the journal on his lap. It was when he focused on her that  
he noticed the wrinkles etched into her forehead. Telling Damon she  
was not just sitting and reading through her journals but she was in  
deep thought. So he softly walked up to her and placed his hand on her  
shoulder causing her to turn her head and focus her attention on him.

"How did you find me?"

"Lucky guess"

He looked down and smiled when he noticed the page that she had been  
reading. She had reached the page where Elena had written about their  
wedding. The day Damon had promised to love Elena for the rest of his  
life, for better or for worse.

"I never knew I could be as happy as I was that day."

Elena turned back to the page and Damon watched a drop of water fall  
onto the paper. In response Damon sat down and wrapped his arm around  
Elena.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"That you knew what my nightmare was about?"

"Would it have made a difference?"

Elena stayed silent and answered Damon's question without saying anything.

"I broke up with Stefan."

That was not the answer that Damon had been expecting. He could not  
have said he was regretting the statement but it made even him lose a  
quick comeback. So, Elena responded for him.

"It was not for you."

"Well wouldn't that just be the worst thing."

"Damon I had to do it for me. I don't even know who me is anymore. I  
get that I am not Katherine. I do and I get that a part of me is Elena  
Salvatore but I am not that girl in those journals anymore. I cannot  
love you like that girl in those journals. I am so sorry Damon."

Damon softened even more towards the broken girl beside him. He  
reached up his hand and placed it against her cheek.

"What would make you think that?"

"That girl back in those journals was so confident about how she felt  
for you. You guys were so in love."

Damon laughed.

"Elena, it took me years to win you over the first time. I am a very  
patient man."

"How can you be so sure that I will love you again?"

Damon gazed across the water and smiled at all the years of memories  
he had that were filled with the woman beside him.

"You may not see it yet but you still are that girl in those journals.  
Maybe a little more lost, a little older, but you are still the woman  
I fell in love with, the woman I vowed to marry for the rest of my  
life, and the mother of my children."

"Is that what this is? An obligation to vows you made?"

Damon stood up and let out a big sigh with a huge 'unbelievable'. This  
woman had turned into a bigger pain than he remembered.

"No Elena I am not acting crazy because of some promise. I am going  
crazy because you are it for me, Elena Salvatore. You have ruined me  
for all other women and I don't want to be fixed."

His voice had increasingly risen in volume as he finally declared his  
love to the woman that sat in front of him. Elena sat silently for a  
few minutes and just stared at Damon. Then he watched as she stood and  
walked towards him.

"It scares me you know. How all my feelings consume me whenever I am  
around you. How I so easily gave up my past memories until I met you  
and Sophie and Ty. How is this fair to them or you? You said it  
yourself I am broken."

Elena's silent tears turned into sobs and Damon quickly covered the  
space and wrapped his arms around her to keep her from collapsing.

"I am just so broken."

It was the phrase that Elena just kept saying over and over again as  
Damon held her and rubbed her back and prayed that one day his Elena  
would stop hurting. Finally he pulled away and put his hand against  
her cheek to push back her hair from getting stuck against her tear  
stained face.

"Elena I love you. Broken, whole, or anything between, I will always love you."

Then a monumental thing happened. Elena leaned up and kissed Damon  
directly on the lips. Oh how he missed those lips. He had kissed Elena  
already, since she has been back, but it had always been different  
when Elena initiated it. Somehow it told him that Elena Salvatore had  
finally returned to him.


	18. Simply Be Here

Damon pulled away from Elena and he saw it, the doubt that was dancing around in her eyes. He should have known, ever since she returned to him, her feelings were more volatile than normal. _I broke up with Stefan_. He had to believe in her, he had to believe in them and trust that she would not go running between the two brothers. She was many things, but she was not an indecisive teenager and he could not wait for her if she was. Sophie and Ty were his responsibility and he promised the girl he loved that he would always do what was best for them.

* * *

_"You seem distracted"_

_Elena pulled her gaze up from her computer and glanced at the man standing in front of her. Damon and his blue eyes were full of so much concern. She wanted to say that he worried too much and focus back on the project at hand but she could not. There was too much information that she had found out and she needed to share it with somebody. Not somebody, Damon. Yet every time she went to open her mouth she closed it again because she knew what telling Damon would mean for her. Talking it out with Damon would make it more real. There was still too much that could go wrong and she could not get her hopes up, not yet._

_So instead of talking she closed her laptop and stood up. In fluid steps she walked towards her handsome husband and wrapped her arms around his neck. Still after all this time she could feel as Damon responded to her. Instinctively he gripped her tighter and pulled her closer. It even felt instinctual for Elena to brush her nose against the crook of his neck and to kiss him right below his ear. She quietly whispered an, 'I love you' in his ear and soon they came together as only a husband and wife could._

_Afterwards, as they lay tangled under the sheets and wrapped into the others embrace, Elena's mind was on the laptop and the contents that lay buried in it._

_"Bonnie should definitely watch the kids more often."_

_It was Damon who pulled her back to their bed and allowed for the giggle to escape her lips. _

_"You do not fool me Damon Salvatore. I saw that look in your eyes this afternoon. I was getting ready for you to tell me to pack my bags. It has been less than forty eight hours."_

_Damon had surprised Elena with a trip to the beach for her birthday. She knew what a sacrifice coming here was for him. Damon highly disliked the sand, he hated how it ended up everywhere you did not want it. Elena was convinced he had a slight case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Not that it had mattered thus far into the trip; it had yet to stop raining. _

_"I just don't want Bonnie filling their head with a bunch of nonsense."_

_Damon said with a low growl._

_Elena placed her hand on his cheek and smiled up with him. The words flickered across her brain and she knew she had to talk to him, even if she could not tell him the real reason why. Not yet._

_"She is good with them. Jeremy is good with them. I think we should write them in our will in case something happens to us. I mean I know Alaric and Jenna would take them but they have kids of their own and"_

_Before Elena could finish Damon rolled away from her and let out a heavy sigh._

_"Well you sure know how to kill a mood."_

_Elena followed his retreat and lay gently against his chest._

_"I am serious Damon. I don't want any chance that strangers will raise our kids, I never want them to ever question that we love them. Even if we can no longer be there to tell them."_

_The look on Damon's face turned from mocking to worry and Elena felt as his hands slowly ran up and down her back._

_"Hey, why the sudden concern with our kids ending up parentless? You aren't planning on killing me are you because Alaric."_

_"Sorry, I guess the whole adoption thing has been on my mind lately. What would have happened if I hadn't ended up with Miranda and Grayson."_

_"It is not something we have to worry about. We are going to raise Ty and Sophie till we are old and grey and they have to change our diapers. Let me tell you payback will be sweet."_

_"Promise me that if anything happened to me you would make sure the kids end up happy. Even if Ty ends up as a ballerina or Sophie gets pregnant at seventeen."_

_Elena was begging now and she knew it but the feeling would not go away and she had to do something to relieve it. She had to make sure her kids never knew what it was like to grow up without knowing their parents love them._

_"What is with all this death talk? We are supposed to be all romantic and heartfelt this weekend. You love that crap."_

_Damon had a face full of concern and a voice laced with it but Elena could tell he was trying to keep things light. _

_"I know and we will I just need you to promise me. Please promise me you will always love them."_

_Damon quickly placed his hand on her cheek as if trying to gently attempting to stop her._

_"Hey, hey listen to me they are our kids and I will always love them, we will always love them. Now tell me about this book deal in New York you were telling me about earlier."_

_Damon rolled over and allowed Elena to be trapped against his chest and between his arms. Telling Elena that Damon was done with their current conversation. _

* * *

"Stop thinking, stay with me for a few more minutes. All the problems will still be there."

Damon hated how desperate he sounded and how much power Elena held to destroy him. He wanted to curse the men who made the plane, the man who flew it that day, and those doctors who could not tell that it was his beautiful Elena that lay underneath their scalpel. When it finally came to the games he would play of blame he could only ever return to himself. He had incorrectly identified his wife. He had seen the picture and thought it was her. He hated himself for not demanding a test be done to prove that it was his wife he buried. In his hour of greatest need he had failed those he had loved the most. Now they were all forced to face this scary ill charted world.

"I broke up with Stefan because I need to find me."

With a sad smile Damon stepped away and with all his strength Damon refused to pull her towards him and show her why she really broke up with Stefan. He needed her to decide she wanted to be with him on her own. It would do nobody any good if she woke up one morning and went running back to Stefan.

"Is that really what you want Elena? You have been fighting the memories since you found out."

Damon's voice was rising unwillingly. The simple fact that his wife stood before him and yet still she somehow stood so far away. She may have finally given into her desires but there was still a lot they needed to work out. A lot of fights that were hanging in the horizon.

"Can you blame me? Look at us we are fighting again!"

In a quick motion Damon grabbed her face in his palms and forced her to look him directly in the eyes. She had once told him that when looking in his eyes it felt like she could read his soul. They had just been teenagers but he hopped that even just for a moment that remained true.

"Of course we are fighting. It has always been a part of our relationship. You do not honestly think I could spend more than a half of my life with you and not want to kill you at least for a quarter of that."

The look Elena gave Damon told him everything she would not tell him.

"Elena come on, everybody fights. Can you honestly say that you have never had a fight with Stefan?"

Damon watched as Elena looked down at her hands and again answered Damon without saying anything.

"Man, I knew Stefan was boring but I didn't think he was that boring. You are telling me that in the two plus years that you were with Stefan you never once had an argument. Not even over where to eat or what movie to watch?"

It was somehow depressing to think their relationship lacked the passion that would inevitably lead to arguments. The idea made Damon wonder how Stefan had managed to squash that stubborn spirit inside Elena that he loved, that stubborn spirit that he hated almost as much as he loved. Damon quickly questioned Elena when he realized that she mumbled something.

"I said not until you came along. We never fought before you."

Damon almost felt bad for how smug that idea made him feel.

* * *

Caroline found herself calling the airport for the quickest flight to Mystic Falls. Stefan had called mere minutes ago and he had been in near panic. She could barely understand him. It sounded something like Elena had called off the wedding but that did not sound like the Elena she knew. It was obviously just a severe case of cold feet. A simple girls night would obvious clear her fuzzy brain. Well not just any girls night out but a girls night out with Caroline Forbes.


	19. Clarity

It was the little things. Damon and Elena were sitting together in the SUV as they drove to their kids so they could drive to their home. Elena had decided to leave her car at the lake house, claiming she was too tired to trust herself behind a wheel. Damon had easily agreed because he wanted that uninterrupted time with her and he knew eventually they were going to have to talk about that kiss. For now they sat in silence and Damon glanced over to see Elena tense and thinking. Out of pure habit he reached across the console and grabbed her hand in his. He gently brushed his thumb against her hand and she did not pull away. Instead, Damon watched as she visibly relaxed under the light pressure. Damon was learning to appreciate the little things.

* * *

Elena knew that she had made the right decision to leave Stefan. Deep down she even knew she made the right decision to kiss Damon. The realization worried her. The way that Damon loved her was terrifying. It was an all-consuming kind of love, a love that had remained even when he had rightfully believed she was dead. It scared her because she was beginning to care for him also. It had been such a short time and she already cared for Sophie, Ty, and Damon so deeply. In the grand scheme of things it made sense. They were her blood and he had been her husband and high school sweetheart. That is also what caused her to hold back and forced her to question whether she could really go back to them.

"What if I am no longer that girl you loved?"

Elena knew that she had already beaten around the question at the lake house but the fear was still beating with each pump of her heart. She had not even meant to ask the question out loud but her mouth had spoken before she could stop it. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him for an answer. For a moment his thumb froze and Damon inhaled deeply.

"What makes you think you are no longer that girl?'

Damon caught her gaze and Elena quickly dropped it as she looked down at their hands.

"I don't, I just"

Damon cut her off before she could find the words to say what she felt.

"You know what I love about you. The way you wear your emotions on your sleeves and the way you care so deeply. The way you have no fear of putting me in my place and for so many other things. I get that you are confused and lost and I get that I should give you space to figure it out but I can't because I love you and I am too selfish to let you go. So if you want to run Elena, than do it I can't stop you but don't try and scare me into being the one to do the leaving, because I won't."

"I don't want to run."

Elena's response came out hoarse and quiet but she knew Damon had heard because he gave her hand a simple squeeze and responded.

"Then don't"

It was if his words had some magical power over her because at least for that moment the world became simple again. She could pursue this with Damon, if the kiss at the lake house was any indication she had to pursue this with Damon. All moments of clarity however must come to an end and she felt her phone begin to vibrate her thigh. Quickly she lifted it up and read the caller to be Caroline. Her best friend that still had not been told about the broken engagement, and more importantly the broken wedding. Caroline Forbes lived for decorations, entertainment, and all things wedding. It also threw a slight wrench that she just so happened to be Stefan Salvatore's best friend. This was not going to be a fun conversation.

"Hey Care"

"Elena! Guess who just landed in Mystic Falls?!"

"I wasn't expecting you to fly in for another week?"

"Surprise, I was actually calling because I was hoping you could swing by and pick me up and then we could have a girls night? I am sure Stefan could spare you for an evening"

Elena swore that she heard something in Caroline's tone but she brushed it off as her own conscious.

"I am actually an hour outside Mystic Falls. You should try Stefan, I think he had off work today."

There was a momentary pause over the line.

"Oh, ok. Well I will meet you at the Boarding house in an hour than?"

"Um, just a minute."

In attempt to keep her voice muffled Elena pulled the phone away as she covered it with her hand.

"Can you drop me off at the boarding house?"

Damon did not look away from the road but Elena could see his jaw move during the moment that he clenched his teeth together.

"Sophie was really wanting to see you today. I actually promised her that she would. I can take you after though."

Elena felt herself get giddy over the idea of her daughter wanting to see her. She may just be learning her feelings for Damon but she knew what she felt for Sophie and Ty. Pure and selfless love.

"Care, I have a few things I need to do first but I will see you tonight."

Elena quickly ended the conversation after that and the car fell back into a comfortable silence. The silence was broken just as Elena realized that she till had her hand in Damon's.

"When you gonna tell Blondie you broke off the engagement?"

"Tonight"

Elena knew that Caroline should know but she also believed that sometimes it was best to hold off from sharing the truth. At least for a little while.

_"When will you be back again?"_

_Elena looked up from placing her toiletries in her bag to see her husband leaning against the doorframe staring at the overflowing bag that lay open on their bed._

_"I will be back in four days."_

_The statement came out with a grunt as Elena desperately tried to zip the contents into her bag. In a moment she was being gently pushed aside by Damon and being placed to watch as he closed her bag for her. The man was making it seemingly impossible to continue through with her plan. Each moment she turned and he was doing another sweet thing for her. As if he knew and wanted the guilt to eat away at her, she was thankful that at least she was telling him partial truths. She really did have a meeting with a bank about starting her own publishing company, even if it was not the sole reason she was traveling to New York. If it had been she could have made it a day trip but Damon could not know that. At least not yet._

_"The kids are going to miss you."_

_Elena smirked at the handsome man that stood before her. He had grown into this incredible man compared to the boy he was in high school but he still hated sharing how he felt. With a giggle and quick movements she had nestled her way into his arms and looked up at him with a bat of her eyelashes._

_"Oh are they going to be the only ones who miss me Mr. Salvatore?"_

_She began to kiss her way up his neck because she wanted to feel the vibrations as he gave her his answer. _

_"They may not get a chance to miss you. I am starting to think you are coming down with something. You should probably stay home and I can take of you."_

_Elena jumped back before it could go any farther because she knew exactly how hot the fire burned and she knew at the rate they were going she would never make her flight on time._

_"You are going to have to take care of me in four days." _

_Elena quickly grabbed her bag and raced out of the room. Scared that she would not be able to stop it if she stayed any longer. The kids were out and Damon was in that mood, she saw the glint in his eye. For some reason she knew that sex with her husband would make the fact she was keeping things from him even harder to bear._

_"You could just wait till the weekend and I could come with you."_

_Damon said as he made his way out of their room and began to close the gap between them as she walked down the stairs._

_"Damon this meeting was scheduled months ago."_

_In response Damon let out an exaggerated sigh and followed her to their car._

_"Ok, ok I get it. Let's get you to the airport."_

_Keeping her focus out the passenger window she let herself believe she was doing the right thing. It was for the best to not tell Damon why she was going to New York and even when she felt his hand grab hers and felt his thumb brush across her skin, in that soothing familiar way, she kept her eyes focused out the passenger window because even now she was afraid she might spill everything. _

_She was finally forced to look at him when they reached the airport and he was saying his goodbye to her before she went through security. Just when she thought she was free and clear Damon grasped her wrist and pulled her back to him. Gently he brushed his hand against her cheek._

_"Are you really going to get on that plane without telling me what is going on in that pretty little head of yours?"_

_Elena looked down and then back up into his eyes. She took a breath to make sure her voice would come out stable._

_"I am going to miss my flight. We will talk when I get home."_

_With that, Elena turned and made her way to the line for security. Determined that she would not turn around because she could feel his stare on her and she knew that he had that disappointed look in his eyes._

_Finally once through security and after her plane had been called she sat in her seat and let out a deep breath. Quickly she pulled out her phone and pulled up a text message._

_'Just got on the plane. See you at the airport.'_

_Before the flight attendant could tell her to turn off her phone she pressed send. Just as her message was sent through space she sent up a prayer that Damon would forgive her, eventually._

* * *

"I want to stay up and wait for Mommy."

Damon pulled the princess comforter up over his little girl and gave her a sweet smile. Elena had done as he asked and stayed for a few hours at Bonnie and Jeremy's. On his way home with two warn out and tired kids he had dropped her off at the boarding house. It was comforting when he had seen that Stefan's vehicle was not in the driveway. Then Damon had said goodbye and watched as Elena turned to him nervously. In a giant step she had asked if she could stop by after she spoke with Caroline.

He could not help but smile just at the mere memory of Elena taking such initiative. However, Sophie had heard and now she was desperate to stay awake until Elena showed up.

"Ladybug, it is time for bed. Sleep well."

After a gentle kiss on the forehead Damon exited the room and headed across the hall to his son. Surprisingly the young boy was already under his covers and his lights were already out. Damon was about to close the door when he heard Ty let out a small 'Dad'. Quickly, Damon entered the room and sat on the edge of his solar system bed.

"What is it buddy?"

"Elena. I mean um Mom knows I don't hate her right?"

The anguish was evident in his son's tone and it made Damon wonder how long the question had been bouncing around in his head.

"Yeah, she knows you don't hate her."

The room fell silent for a moment and Damon's eyes adjusted to the darkness. Ty had a pensive look on his face that kept Damon from leaving just yet.

"Does she love Sophie more than me?"

"No buddy. She loves you both the same."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah buddy, I'm sure now go to sleep."

Damon pulled the covers up tighter around his son because he did not have any other plan for protecting him against the thoughts that were currently waging war inside his young little brain.

* * *

"Caroline we need to talk."

Caroline poured two glasses of wine and joined Elena on the couch. She said nothing but Elena knew she was waiting for her to continue. It was now or later and waiting any longer could cause more problems. So, Elena took a deep breath and said it all as one huge run on sentence.

"You should know that I broke the engagement off with Stefan and I have moved in with Bonnie and Jeremy I know that you don't understand but I realized I couldn't marry Stefan I didn't love him."

Elena gasped for air and watched as Caroline chuckled. Furrowing her eyebrows together Elena questioned how Caroline responded to her news. It was as if she could care less that Elena had called off the engagement. So much for the speech Elena had planned in her head during the drive over here, about how she needed to figure out who she really was and what she really wanted. Caroline reached over and squeezed Elena's hand gently. The difference of how that gesture made her feel coming from Damon compared to Caroline was significant. Strengthening her new thoughts that had begun to swirl around with all the muddled ones that seemed to make it hard to breath at times.

"Elena, it's fine everybody gets cold feet at some point. Stefan just loves you so strongly and it causes for him to forget that some people need to walk away from what they had to realize what they had."

After that Elena tuned Caroline out. Glancing out the window Elena thought of Damon. The way he held little Sophie as she cried over a bear being placed in the wrong chair. How he had looked as if the idea of the bear being moved broke his heart as well and she guessed in a way it did. That is what she thought of when she thought of somebody who loves strongly. She thought of Damon.

"You just need some time. Trust me, Stefan will wait for you."

Elena could still hear Caroline continue to talk as her focus moved to the fireplace. Damon had waited for her. Even when he had every right to move on, when he should have moved on, Damon had waited for her. Damon was still waiting for her.

It was as if suddenly a peace came over her and this overwhelming feeling with it. It was so strong she said it out loud causing Caroline to stop mid rant.

"I think I am falling in love with Damon."


	20. The Longest Day

To say that Elena was exhausted would be a vast understatement. The tornado that was Caroline after Elena's untimely confession almost forced her into hibernation for the night. However she had promised Damon that she would return to him that night and her desire to see him out weighed her exhaustion. The lack of vehicle had also at first appeared to be an issue. Caroline had stated she would not enable this obvious bout of insanity and refused to transport her there. That is until Elena walked outside on the stoop and attempted to call Damon. Even though she knew it would be to no avail. The Salvatore household ran like clockwork. Elena was sure little Sophie was currently curled up under his arm and begging for him to tell just one more story. His phone would be in his room and would go unheard. Just as Elena had gone to dial Bonnie's number, Caroline had stormed out of the house with her rental car keys dangling in her hand. Elena followed her to the car and slid into the passenger side. The entire ride was silent and the only sound that was heard was the music of the local pop station. It was a rare occurrence that Caroline would not begin to sing along in her own personal off key variety. Finally the punishment was over and they reached the destination of the house.

"Thanks Caroline, I guess I will see you later."

"Obviously"

The comment Elena was sure, was supposed to come off with attitude but it brought her comfort. Even though Caroline did not agree with her choice she was not planning to drop her as a friend. Elena reminded herself of that as she stood alone and knocked on the door of a home she had grown to love. Only after the door opened did she hear the car reverse and head back from where it came.

"Hey"

It came out with the breath that Elena was vaguely aware she was holding. Damon obviously chose to answer with a gesture and opened the door to allow her to enter.

"Both Sophie and Ty were hoping to see you when you got here."

"I am sorry I am so late"

"It is ok, but you may want to run up and say goodnight. I know that Sophie has been fighting sleep to make sure she can be awake for you."

Elena attempted a smile as she nervously made her way up the stairs. Everything had changed since the last time she had entered this house, climbed these stairs, and joined in on the routine of going to bed. She had finally admitted to the feelings that had begun brewing nights before. It was silent as she entered the young girls room first and saw to eyes peering at her. The moment it registered who had entered her room Sophie sat up in her bed with a big grin.

"Mommy"

"Sweetheart, shouldn't you be sleeping?"

Elena took note of the slight fall of the smile plastered on her daughters face. The obvious feel of rejection had come with the innocent question. With a quick motion Elena cupped Sophie's face in a silent gesture to ease her unspoken worry.

"I wanted to say goodnight first."

Sophie explained as Elena eased her back down so she was lying in her bed with her hair fanned out across her pillow. Elena gave a small smile as Sophie struggled to keep her eyes open and simply kissed her on the cheek before making her way to exit the room.

"Mommy"

Came the sweet little voice that forced Elena to stop from leaving the room and heading to Ty.

"What Soph?"

"Are you going to eat breakfast with me?"

Before she responded Elena caught a view of Damon standing outside in the hall. He had obviously heard the question and was obviously waiting for the answer as well. There was still far too much to discuss for Elena to give any definite answer.

"I will see you tomorrow. Now go to sleep."

Quickly she exited the room before the young girl could protest further. Elena was sure she would have to fight everything within herself to ever say no to that girl. The moment she exited the room the stare from Damon became more intense. Instead of looking she swiftly entered Ty's room and softly sat on the edge of his bed. Unlike his sister Ty had his eyes closed and he was breathing evenly. She was tempted to wake him, just so she could talk to him, even if it was just for a moment. Instead Elena brushed his hair off of his forehead and ghosted a kiss with her lips. Praying that he would never again have to question how much she loved him. With all her heart.

When Elena reentered the hallway she noticed that Damon was no longer looming. She was quick to rediscover him standing over the coffee pot and fiddling with the buttons. It only took a moment before Damon turned to see that she was standing behind him.

"You looked tired."

It was the only response Damon gave before he went back to fiddling with the coffee maker. The simple gesture caused the guilt to creep back into her throat. Keeping her from giving any form of gratitude towards his kind gesture. It would be one thing if he was making a cup for himself but she knew that he hated the stuff. He did not even have a coffee pot in his home until the second day of her visit. She remembered Damon asking her to take the kids to the park. Assuming he just needed quiet to get work done she had kindly accepted it and she had loved the time to play with Sophie and watch Ty as he kicked around the soccer ball. Then she returned back to the house with them and found Damon had moved the kids into the same room and apparently pulled out a number of things from storage including the coffee pot. She had gone to it like a moth to a flame and offered Damon a cup. A cup that Damon swiftly rejected and explained to her that he had put the coffee pot out for her and her alone. His simple selfless gesture, the same gestures that had been scattered throughout her encounters of Damon Salvatore, at least the encounters she could remember. Elena shook her head as if to ward off the dark cloud that was threatening to overtake her. In the simple action she brought her mind back to Damon and his attempt to start a pot of coffee. Elena walked over and gently nudged him out of the way so she could actually get the coffee started.

It gave her hands something to do, a way to distract herself from the inevitable conversation that had to come with the cup of coffee.

* * *

_Damon was a smart man. He did not often show this to others, besides when he stood in a courtroom and convinced a judge and jury to believe exactly what he wanted them to believe. It was simple to convince the room because he could read the room. He would watch and see as he lost the old man's interest in the back corner, or pulled the favor of the young girl fresh out of college and eager to change the world. He had mastered the art of reading of room and he long ago mastered the art of reading his wife and something was terribly wrong._

_A few months ago Damon had realized that Elena was holding back information from him. She did every so often. He had to wait a week for her to tell him that she was pregnant with Ty and only two days before she shared the news about Sophie. She had never waited more than a week, let alone months to tell him something. She knew something and he could only hope and pray that it was good news. Hopefully it was the same reason she had held off telling him about Ty. Later, Elena told him that she was scared that he had changed his mind. The idea baffled Damon; she was scared he would change his mind about a future with her. It had been years and her doubt still occasionally seeped through, the doubt that he did want a family and he had unknowingly planted those seeds when he was a teen. They used to drive around town in his car and talk about the future. His future was always full of traveling and women, hers would change in the middle but it would always end the same, a handsome husband and 2.5 kids with a white picket fence. He wished that she realized the moment he became aware of his love for her was the same moment that all of his dreams changed._

_"Mr. Smith is here to see you sir"_

_The voice on the intercom shot through the air and brought Damon back from his tortured thoughts._

_"Thanks, send him in."_

* * *

Damon sat at the table and watched as Elena took slow sips of her coffee across from him. Neither had spoken and Damon had decided he would wait for her to speak first.

Let her choose the topic of the conversation or if things continue, lack of conversation.

"I think we should talk about the lake house."

Damon gave a slight nod in hope of encouraging her to continue.

"I really don't know what I am doing Damon."

Damon actually found himself attempting to not listen to what she was about to say. He was terrified that she was going to say she changed her mind again and he had seen her in the room with Sophie and Ty, she was not just going to walk away. She was going to stick around and make sure he became the bare skeleton of a man.

"I appreciate that you have been so patient with me and my memories. I think that one day they may all return."

He wondered if every time she had a memory she would come running back to Damon only to return to Stefan at first light. The real question would than be would he have the power to ever walk away from her. This whole time he had convinced himself that he would, for Ty and Sophie but for a few hours he lived in hope that she would return to him, heart and body, and now he did not know if he could let go of the idea. His emotions appeared to be as fickle as hers.

"I hope you can be a little more patient with me. I think, I think that I would like to start dating you Damon."

The thoughts that were racing came to a halting stop the moment he heard those words. His blue eyes darted across the table to make sure that he was not dreaming. After several blinks she still sat there with a slight blush and averted eyes. She was nervous about how he would respond. How many times did he have to tell her that he was willing to wait for her? For all that is good in the world, he was contemplating being willing to share her with his cousin if only it meant a few moments where she was his.

To ease her mind Damon stood and walked around the table and he pushed her chair so that she would be facing him. As he crouched down, like he so often did when talking to his children, he placed his hands so they could caress her cheeks and force her eyes to meet his.

"Mrs. Salvatore are you asking me to be your boyfriend?"

The smile on his face widened when he heard that cute little giggle escape her lips.

"I'm being serious."

"So am I. I will have you know I do not just date anybody."

Elena pulled her face out of his hands and gave Damon a sly little smirk.

"Well who do you date?"

"Blondes with big moles and stinky breath." A long sigh and than Damon continued.

"but I guess you will do." In one swift motion Damon picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Also causing for Elena to let out a high-pitched squeal and giggle. Only encouraging Damon as he transported Elena to the couch and dropped her down with a gentle thud.

"Hey, you are going to wake the kids."

Placing his finger on her lips Damon tried to suppress his own chuckle. The moment the laughing stopped they did not move positions, Elena stayed laying on the couch and Damon continued to hover over her, until the stare became too much for either of them to handle. It was unknown who made the first move but it ended with their lips locked. In attempt to fully appreciate the woman who lay underneath him, Damon pulled himself onto the couch as he made sure to keep his body from crushing hers.

It was minutes that they laid and enjoyed each other in that close way. Damon could feel his hands itching to move, craving to take her entirely. He had a right. This was his wife that lay beneath him and she was kissing him back just as passionately but Damon instead pulled away and gave a small smile. He would not go to far to fast. Damon could not risk the chance of her running off scared. In this moment he would do right by her. Swiftly he rolled off the couch and stood up. A flash of disappointment crossed Elena's face as Damon offered his hand to help her up but Damon knew that staying, as they were a moment longer and his brain would no longer be the one doing the thinking.

"So much for talking things out."

Damon gave a small smile and made his way towards the kitchen. The talking would come and hopefully the memories would too. Tonight, they would clean up the coffee cups and Damon would offer her his bed and he would for another night sleep on the couch. In hopes that one-day they could again share the bed.

* * *

_"Be good for your Dad"_

_Elena whispered in Sophie and Ty's ear as she held them both close to her. After several seconds Elena finally released them, and only because she felt her son begin to get restless._

_"I will be home for your soccer game."_

_Ty responded with a smile that showed his teeth and than ran back to his soccer ball. The young boy had begged for months to join the young soccer team. Elena was at first hesitant. Somehow that meant her little boy was growing up and that alone was terrifying. Then Elena pictured all the things that could happen from a bunch of young boys running around and kicking a soccer ball, broken legs and concussions were her first thought. After much convincing from Damon, that soccer was a good idea, they finally found a local team for him to join. It took only minutes of watching the smile on Ty's face during his first soccer game to sell Elena on the idea of Ty playing soccer. Ever since and Elena has been his number one fan, besides his little sister of course._

_After both children had run back to what they were doing Damon approached her with a tentative smile on his face. Their relationship had felt strained for the last week and Elena knew that it was her fault. The reason their relationship had lasted so long was due to communicating and lately she was not as much, terrified that she would slip and tell him the other reason she was going to New York. Soon she was encased in his arms and again she questioned if she should tell him._

_"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you? I am sure Bonnie will watch the kids for a couple days."_

_The words came out whispered against her hair and Elena let out a soft sigh relishing in the feel._

_"No you already took off work for our vacation. I will be fine."_

_It was Damon's turn to sigh and Elena wondered if he was going to fight her more on the idea. He was rather stubborn when he decided something but so was she._

_"Fine, call me when you get there safely and call when you hear about the loan."_

_Elena nodded against his chest and quickly got into the taxi that was taking her to the train station. She kept her eyes focused on Damon as they began to drive away. He offered her a small wave but she could see he was far from happy. As he disappeared from her view she turned back in her seat and reminded herself that she would fix it when she returned home._

* * *

"Caroline, I told you that she left me for him."

Stefan had returned home to find a very upset Caroline waiting for him. It had taken mere minutes for Stefan to get Caroline to admit the confession that Elena had made. Although Stefan had been afraid of this for a while now the admittance from Elena still hurt more than he hoped it would.

"I guess this means the wedding is officially off. The phone calls I have to make are not going to be fun. My Dad is going to have my head."

If Caroline appeared angry before, she appeared furious now. He was not sure if it was because Stefan and Elena broke up or because they were canceling the wedding. Caroline loved weddings.

"Don't be stupid, she is obviously just going through some late post traumatic stress. A girl would have to be crazy to not love you."

"You mean Elena. Elena would be crazy not to love me?"

Stefan was not sure why but the generalization struck him in an odd way.

"Yes of course."

"Well what do you suggest I do? She chose Damon."

"You fight for her you idiot."


End file.
